The local authority backed plans this week to trial the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after councillors were shown a trial film shot from a remote-controlled aircraft.

Members of the council’s planning and regulatory services committee said in some cases using the technology would be cheaper than sending a busload of councillors and staff to visit sites which are subject of a planning application in person.

Footage from the drones could be more accurate than ordnance survey aerial photography maps currently attached to planning applications.

Committee chairman Chris Tuke voted against the use of drones, although admitted that the aerial cameras would have worked better than the wind farm site visit.

He told The National: “I’m not particularly convinced that it’s needed but it was voted through to use them in certain limited circumstances, mainly for open moor-type wind installations more than anything else.

“Everybody on the committee thinks that for small urban planning applications there’s no substitute for actually seeing the nuances of the locality.

“But we have been out in all weathers to upland areas being asked to imagine an installation on a hill – and sometimes you can’t see the hill for the weather.”

Tuke said the use of drones was becoming more commonplace and it had its advantages.

“We can take viewpoints from outwith the area and we normally get fairly good representations, but using them can give us an advantage. We had a trial presented at committee to give members an idea –it was an aerial view so it’s an aspect that’s not seen by the general public or residents,” he said.

“There are 14 of us on the planning committee plus three or four staff, so there could be up to 18 people going on a site visit.

“The drone is more expensive than the bus in straight financial terms, but when you factor in the cost of time for council staff it’s time they could spend doing other things than sitting on a bus for hours on end.”

Council planning officers gave examples where the devices could save money at a time when economies are having to be found.

They said sending a drone to film several sites would cost more than £500, which compared to four hours of staff and councillors’ time, as well as the cost of their bus.

The trial film shown to councillors was a 14-acre site that Elgin Golf Club wanted to develop at its driving range.

Councillors last year attended a workshop to explore alternative options to trudging to the sites they have to visit as part of the planning process.

Tuke added that the authority would not buy in the drones, but would commission them on an ad hoc basis and it was essential that site options remained an option.

“The members seemed to want it so we’ll give it a try,” he said.

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