The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Lowther, Cumbria) Regulations 2026

Published: Tue 7th Jul 26

Restricted the flight of unmanned aircraft near Lowther, Cumbria, during a public festival in late July and early August 2026.

These Regulations prohibit the operation of unmanned aircraft below 2,000 feet above mean sea level within a specified 1.3 nautical mile radius of Lowther, Cumbria.

The restrictions apply from 06:00 UTC on July 30, 2026, until 14:00 UTC on August 3, 2026, to manage safety and security during a large public gathering.

The mandate applies to all unmanned aircraft operators, except those who obtain specific flight permission from the Cumbria Police Drone Team.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that flying restrictions are necessary in the public interest because of an intended gathering of a large number of persons.
The explanatory note states that the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department for Transport agree the restrictions are required for public safety and security during the Kendal Calling Festival.
The regulations provide a mechanism for authorized flight, allowing the Cumbria Police Drone Team to grant permissions for unmanned aircraft to operate within the restricted zone.

Arguments Against

Operators of unmanned aircraft may face restricted access to airspace they would otherwise be permitted to use for recreational or commercial purposes.
The enforcement of the 1.3 nautical mile radius depends on the accuracy of geo-fencing or operator awareness of Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC) versus British Summer Time (BST).
The regulations do not specify the criteria the Cumbria Police Drone Team will use to grant or deny permissions, which may lead to uncertainty for applicants.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Lowther, Cumbria) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 30th July 2026.

This section establishes the official name of the statutory instrument.

It sets the date for the regulations to take legal effect as July 30, 2026.

Interpretation

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

This provision clarifies that all time references in the document use Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC).

This standard is noted as being one hour behind British Summer Time.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), during the period beginning with 0600 hours on 30th July 2026 and ending with 1400 hours on 3rd August 2026 no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 2,000 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 1.3 nautical miles which is centred at 543549N 0024329W.

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

This section prohibits unmanned aircraft from flying below 2,000 feet within a 1.3 nautical mile radius of the specified coordinates near Lowther.

The restriction is active for a specific five-day window in 2026.

It exempts any unmanned aircraft that has received explicit permission from the Cumbria Police Drone Team.

These rules apply to all drone operators regardless of their purpose, unless they fall under this specific authorization.

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