North Yorkshire Council Bids for Drone Technology to Combat Coastal Erosion
North Yorkshire Council has submitted a £75,000 funding application to the Environment Agency in a bid to deploy advanced drone technology to improve the monitoring of coastal erosion along the county's vulnerable coastline.
The application forms part of the Environment Agency's £12 million coastal adaptation programme and would enable the council to purchase a drone equipped with laser-mapping technology — known as LiDAR — along with associated licensing, specialist data software and training for three officers.
The council currently relies on biennial drone monitoring supplied through the National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes, which officers say is inadequate for complex cliff environments due to vegetation cover, infrequent data capture and delays between collection and delivery.
A drone-based system operated directly by the council would allow far more responsive and detailed monitoring of cliff instability and erosion patterns.
The data gathered would feed into coastal adaptation planning, evacuation strategies, and engagement with coastal communities.
Several communities along the North Yorkshire coast — including those near Flat Cliffs in Filey — face significant risks to residential property, road access routes and key infrastructure from ongoing erosion.
The council's existing shoreline management policy for affected sites is one of no active intervention, making accurate and timely monitoring all the more essential for informing residents and preparing emergency responses.
Executive member for highways and transportation Councillor Malcolm Taylor approved the funding application on Thursday.
If successful, the technology would represent a significant step forward in the authority's ability to manage one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing Britain's coastline.
The application forms part of the Environment Agency's £12 million coastal adaptation programme and would enable the council to purchase a drone equipped with laser-mapping technology — known as LiDAR — along with associated licensing, specialist data software and training for three officers.
The council currently relies on biennial drone monitoring supplied through the National Network of Regional Coastal Monitoring Programmes, which officers say is inadequate for complex cliff environments due to vegetation cover, infrequent data capture and delays between collection and delivery.
A drone-based system operated directly by the council would allow far more responsive and detailed monitoring of cliff instability and erosion patterns.
The data gathered would feed into coastal adaptation planning, evacuation strategies, and engagement with coastal communities.
Several communities along the North Yorkshire coast — including those near Flat Cliffs in Filey — face significant risks to residential property, road access routes and key infrastructure from ongoing erosion.
The council's existing shoreline management policy for affected sites is one of no active intervention, making accurate and timely monitoring all the more essential for informing residents and preparing emergency responses.
Executive member for highways and transportation Councillor Malcolm Taylor approved the funding application on Thursday.
If successful, the technology would represent a significant step forward in the authority's ability to manage one of the most pressing environmental challenges facing Britain's coastline.