The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool) Regulations 2026

Published: Thu 17th Sept 26

Established a temporary restricted airspace for unmanned aircraft near Liverpool's Royal Albert Dock during the 2026 Labour Party Conference.

These Regulations prohibit the operation of unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones, at altitudes below 1,300 feet within a 1.5 nautical mile radius of Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool.

The restriction applies to all unmanned aircraft operators from 11:00 UTC on 26 September 2026 until 22:59 UTC on 30 September 2026, coinciding with the Labour Party Conference.

The Merseyside Police Counter-UAS Team is authorized to grant specific exemptions to this prohibition.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that these restrictions are necessary in the public interest for reasons of public safety and security.
The document cites the holding of the Labour Party Conference as the specific justification for the temporary airspace controls.
The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport state that restricting unmanned aircraft is required to maintain safety in the vicinity of the event.
The regulations provide a mechanism for authorized flight through permissions issued by the Merseyside Police Counter-UAS Team.

Arguments Against

Operators of unmanned aircraft may face disruption to planned commercial or recreational activities within the 1.5 nautical mile radius.
The use of Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) rather than British Summer Time (BST) in the legal text may lead to confusion for drone operators regarding the exact start and end moments of the restriction.
The document does not specify the criteria the Merseyside Police will use to grant or deny flight permissions, leaving potential for inconsistent enforcement.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 26th September 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the regulations and sets the date they become legally active. The rules take effect starting 26 September 2026.

Interpretation

The times referred to in regulation 3(1) are Co-ordinated Universal Time( b ).

( b ) Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST).

This section clarifies that all times mentioned in the document follow Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Because the event occurs during the period of British Summer Time, the actual local time in Liverpool will be one hour ahead of the times stated in the regulations.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 1100 hours on 26th September 2026 and ending with 2259 hours on 30th September 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,300 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 1.5 nautical miles which is centred at 532351N 0025930W.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any unmanned aircraft flying in accordance with a permission issued by the Merseyside Police Counter-UAS Team.

This section defines the geographical and vertical boundaries of the restricted zone, centered on specific coordinates at Royal Albert Dock.

It prohibits unmanned aircraft from flying within a 1.5 nautical mile radius at altitudes lower than 1,300 feet above mean sea level.

The Merseyside Police Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Team holds the authority to grant individual permissions for flights that would otherwise be prohibited by this rule.

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