Drone Invasion: Cotswold Village Residents Fed Up with Tourists Flying Drones
Residents in the picturesque Cotswold village of Castle Combe are at their wit’s end over tourists flying drones over their homes, invading their privacy and disrupting their daily lives. The village, often referred to as one of the "prettiest villages in England", attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, but locals say the drone menace has gone too far.
According to Fred Winup, chairman of the Castle Combe Parish Council, the problem has become a never-ending battle. "Somebody was sitting in his bath, looked out the window and there’s a drone filming him," he told BBC News. "I’ve sat in my garden and there’s been a drone flying 10ft (3 metres) above my head. Villagers don’t like drones flying over their gardens and looking in their windows."
The issue has become so severe that villagers have begun propping up ‘no drone’ signs in their windows in the hope of discouraging tourists from flying their drones. While it is legal for drones to be flown in Castle Combe as long as the rules set out by the UK Civil Aviation Authority are followed, Mr Winup said the majority of the time these rules are being ignored. "There are three things that people are quite frequently breaking. They’re flying too close to buildings, too close to people and they can’t see the line of sight for the drone," he said.
Local resident Draven McConville echoed Mr Winup’s concerns, saying that villagers feel they have no private spaces anymore. "It does get busy here so we feel that our only spaces are our back gardens so when a drone encroaches in that area, it feels like an invasion of our privacy," he told BBC News. "I’ve had someone stand right on my driveway flying one. Obviously you can hear it. I’ve gone out and spoken to them and had reasonable conversations. However there have been occasions that have resulted in verbal abuse for no real reason."
The drone problem has also led to concerns about safety and the potential for accidents. With the village’s narrow streets and abundance of tourists, the risk of a drone crashing or causing harm to someone is a very real concern. Mr Winup said that the parish council is considering taking further action to address the issue, but for now, the ‘no drone’ signs are a temporary measure to try and deter tourists from flying their drones.
Castle Combe is a popular tourist destination, attracting visitors from all over the world. However, as the drone problem continues to escalate, residents are calling for greater awareness and respect for their community. As one resident told BBC News, "We just want to be able to live our lives without being filmed or photographed by drones. We want to be able to enjoy our homes and gardens in peace."
The issue highlights the challenges faced by rural communities in balancing the needs of tourism with the rights and concerns of local residents. As the popularity of drone technology continues to grow, it is likely that more communities will face similar challenges. For now, the residents of Castle Combe are hoping that their concerns will be heard and that something will be done to address the drone problem.
The parish council’s efforts to address the issue have been reported by BBC News, and it remains to be seen what further action will be taken to address the problem. One thing is certain, however: the residents of Castle Combe will continue to fight for their right to privacy and peace in their own homes.
BBC News has contacted the UK Civil Aviation Authority for a statement on the issue.
