The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Roundhay, Leeds) Regulations 2026

Published: Mon 29th Jun 26

Established temporary flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft in Roundhay, Leeds, during July 2026 for public safety during a large gathering.

The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Roundhay, Leeds) Regulations 2026 establish a temporary restricted airspace for unmanned aircraft in the Roundhay area of Leeds to protect a large public gathering.

The regulations prohibit the flight of unmanned aircraft below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within a 0.7 nautical mile radius of a specified central coordinate during three distinct periods between July 3 and July 6, 2026.

These rules apply to all unmanned aircraft operators, except those who obtain explicit permission from the West Yorkshire Police Counter-UAS Team.

Arguments For

The Secretary of State asserts that the restrictions are necessary in the public interest due to the 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 reasons of public safety and security.
The Regulations provide a specific mechanism for authorized flight, allowing the West Yorkshire Police Counter-UAS Team to issue 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, potentially impacting commercial or recreational activities in the Roundhay area.
The restriction relies on Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), which the document acknowledges is one hour behind British Summer Time (BST), potentially leading to confusion for operators regarding the exact local start and end times.
The document does not specify the exact nature of the event, which may lead to questions regarding the necessity of the 1,500-foot ceiling or the 0.7 nautical mile radius for this specific location.

Citation and commencement

These Regulations may be cited as the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Roundhay, Leeds) Regulations 2026 and they come into force on 3rd July 2026.

This section establishes the official title of the statutory instrument.

It specifies that the legal provisions contained within the document become active on July 3, 2026.

Interpretation

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

This section clarifies the time standard used throughout the regulations.

It mandates that all specified times are in Co-ordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is noted as being one hour behind British Summer Time.

Restricted airspace

-(1) Subject to paragraph (3), during the periods specified in paragraph (2) no unmanned aircraft is to fly below 1,500 feet above mean sea level within the area bounded by a circle having a radius of 0.7 of a nautical mile whose centre is at 535015N 0012957W.

(2) The periods referred to in paragraph (1) are beginning with-

(a) 1100 hours on 3rd July 2026 and ending with 0300 hours on 4th July 2026,
(b) 1100 hours on 4th July 2026 and ending with 0300 hours on 5th July 2026, and
(c) 1100 hours on 5th July 2026 and ending with 0300 hours on 6th July 2026.

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

This section prohibits the operation of unmanned aircraft below 1,500 feet within a defined circular zone in Leeds during three specific windows of time. The restriction applies to a radius of 0.7 nautical miles around the specified coordinates.

Paragraph 3(3) provides an exception, allowing flights if the West Yorkshire Police Counter-UAS Team grants express permission.

View Source

Benefits and Welfare Health and Social Care Justice