The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Stourbridge, West Midlands) (Emergency) Regulations 2026
Prohibited unauthorized flight below 1,500 feet in a specific area of Stourbridge due to an emergency.
These Regulations establish a temporary no-fly zone in Stourbridge, West Midlands, prohibiting all aircraft from flying below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within a 0.5 nautical mile radius of a specified central point.
The Secretary of State for Transport issued this order in response to an ongoing emergency, granting exclusive flight authority within the zone to aircraft directed by the West Midlands Police Drone Team.
These rules apply to all civilian and commercial pilots and drone operators, taking effect immediately upon signing.
Arguments For
The Secretary of State asserts that the restrictions are necessary for reasons affecting the public interest due to an emergency having arisen in the area.
The document states the measures are intended to be of temporary duration to facilitate the management of the emergency.
The order provides a specific exemption for aircraft operating under the direction of the West Midlands Police Drone Team to ensure emergency response capabilities are maintained.
Arguments Against
The regulations do not specify the nature of the emergency, which may lead to uncertainty regarding the duration of the flight ban.
Operators of light aircraft or private drones may face immediate disruption to planned activities due to the lack of advance notice inherent in emergency regulations.
The legal effect depends on the precise interpretation of "emergency," a term not further defined within the text of the instrument.
Citation and commencement
- These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Stourbridge, West Midlands) (Emergency) Regulations 2026 and come into force with immediate effect.
This section provides the official name of the regulations and establishes their legal validity.
It mandates that the flight restrictions begin at the moment the document was signed at 12:08 p.m. on 14th August 2026.
Restricted airspace
- No aircraft is to fly below 1,500 feet above mean sea level over the area specified in Column 1 of the Schedule, being an area bounded by a circle of the radius specified in Column 2 and centred on the position specified in Column 3.
- These Regulations do not apply to any aircraft flying in accordance with directions given by the West Midlands Police Drone Team.
This section forbids any aircraft from entering the airspace below 1,500 feet within a half-nautical mile radius of the coordinates 522608N 0020841W. It explicitly excludes aircraft operating under the control or instruction of the West Midlands Police Drone Team from this prohibition.
SCHEDULE
Regulation 2
Table 1
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | |----------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------| | Specified area | Radius of circle | Position of centre of circle (latitude and longitude) | | Stourbridge, West Midlands | 0.5 nautical mile | 522608N 0020841W |
The schedule defines the exact geographic boundaries of the restricted flight zone.
It sets a circular perimeter with a 0.5 nautical mile radius centered on specific coordinates in Stourbridge.
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