Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

Angus plan launched to create Scotland’s first drone port in Montrose

Post Thumbnail

Angus is aiming to position itself at the forefront of rapidly advancing aerial technology as the site of Scotland’s first drone port.

Business leaders and the local authority hope setting up the pioneering facility will elevate the area to world-leading status, serving industries including construction, agriculture and the burgeoning offshore renewables sector.

Richard Stark of DTL.

The announcement of the latest move linked to recently-revealed plans for the Zero Four £600 million business development in the Angus town, which could bring 2,000 new jobs to the area.

It could see commercial drones in the air by the end of this year in a six-month project, with a community consultation now under way as part of planning for the initial phase of the Mercury Drone Port project.

Angus Council has been in discussions with Drone Technologies Ltd (DTL) a company already involved in spheres including commerce and agriculture, which says the area is ideally placed to capitalise on opportunities both on land and offshore.

DTL director Richard Stark said the ambition is to create an integrated centre of excellence in the drone industry, incorporating businesses offering Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), autonomous drone capability and attracting technology companies involved in the wider sector.

DTL operate a fleet of drones for various uses.

He said: “Angus is ideally placed because of its low population density and the air space is relatively quiet.

“DTL’s aim is to catch this impending wave by pioneering the provision of drone services and facilities operating initially within the constraints of existing regulations, but in inherently safer environments in order to position the company as leaders when the market develops.”

A global drone market estimated to be worth $4billion is forecast to rocket to $40bn within five years, incorporating an anticipated increasing trend towards drone deliveries.

“This is a significant near-term opportunity,” added Mr Stark, who said development of the Seagreen windfarm off the Angus coast and the renewables opportunities which will emerge from that project were a “catalyst” for the plan.

Angus Council’s economic development spokesperson, Councillor Braden Davy said: “This trial in Montrose lays foundations from which to potentially grow a permanent drone operation across Angus – one of the future growth industries.

“People often only hear of the negative experiences of drones but like any other device, they need to be used responsibly and are subject to specific safety rules relating to the way they are operated, underpinned by UK law.

The ambitious site Zero Four proposal for land at Broomfield was revealed in June.

“This is why the council and Drone Technologies Ltd are keen to reassure local residents of the safety record and give them the opportunity to raise any concerns.”

Online presentations are being held on Wednesday August 19 at 10am and 7pm and people can book by emailing tcd@angus.gov.uk