Drone & AI CCTV enquiry
Case reference FOI2026/01726
Received 12 August 2026
Published 10 September 2026
Request
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
AI CCTV
Please confirm whether the council currently operates, or has operated during the last 12 months, any CCTV or video surveillance systems which incorporate artificial intelligence.
If yes, please provide:
The supplier/vendor and product name of each system.
A list of the AI-enabled or automated capabilities available within each system.
Which of those capabilities are currently enabled and operational.
Drone usage
Please confirm whether the council has owned, leased, operated, or contracted the use of any drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the last 12 months for enforcement, regulatory, compliance, investigative, community safety, anti-social behaviour, environmental crime, planning enforcement, parking enforcement, or similar monitoring or evidential purposes.
If yes, please provide:
The number of drones operated by, or on behalf of, the council.
The model name(s) and supplier(s).
The purpose(s) for which the drones are used.
Whether any drones are allocated to specific functions or teams.
Whether the drones incorporate AI, automated analytics, object detection, facial recognition, thermal imaging or similar image-analysis capabilities.
Which of those capabilities are technically available and which are currently enabled.
A brief description of how drone deployments are authorised and conducted.
Whether drones are deployed routinely for patrols, or only in response to specific incidents, reports, investigations, inspections, or other identified needs.
Whether deployment logs are maintained and, if so, the categories of information routinely recorded within those logs.
Whether drone imagery, footage, or other data may be shared with police forces and, if so, under what circumstances.
Whether any drones are operated by contractors or other organisations on behalf of or in partnership with the council and, if so, the name of the organisation(s).
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
AI CCTV
Please confirm whether the council currently operates, or has operated during the last 12 months, any CCTV or video surveillance systems which incorporate artificial intelligence.
No.
If yes, please provide:
The supplier/vendor and product name of each system.
A list of the AI-enabled or automated capabilities available within each system.
Which of those capabilities are currently enabled and operational.
N/A.
Drone usage
Please confirm whether the council has owned, leased, operated, or contracted the use of any drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the last 12 months for enforcement, regulatory, compliance, investigative, community safety, anti-social behaviour, environmental crime, planning enforcement, parking enforcement, or similar monitoring or evidential purposes.
Guildford Borough Council’s Parks and Countryside team use one drone for assessing any damage on the parks after events. We also have two drones that are operated by contractors – one of these is in relation to the Weyside Urban Village development and the other is in relation to the new nature reserve at Burpham Court Farm.
If yes, please provide:
The number of drones operated by, or on behalf of, the council.
Three.
The model name(s) and supplier(s).
Information not held.
The purpose(s) for which the drones are used.
Drone number 1: Parks & Countryside team – this drone is used for assessing any damage on the parks after events. This footage is then used to help us plan and co-ordinate any necessary renovation works.
Drone number 2: Weyside Urban Village development – our Clerk of Works (who acts as an independent quality assurance representative for this development) uses a drone to inspect works being delivered by our contractors to ensure compliance with the approved drawings, Building Regulations approvals and relevant specifications.
Drone number 3: Burpham Court Farm nature reserve – the contractor delivering this nature reserve uses a drone primarily to take still photographs to record progress and demonstrate to GBC the works that have been delivered.
Whether any drones are allocated to specific functions or teams.
Yes, as detailed above.
Whether the drones incorporate AI, automated analytics, object detection, facial recognition, thermal imaging or similar image-analysis capabilities.
No.
Which of those capabilities are technically available and which are currently enabled.
N/A.
A brief description of how drone deployments are authorised and conducted.
Drone number 1: Usage only occurs immediately after events held in parks or countryside managed land.
Drone number 2: Drone is used approximately once a month, primarily to take still photographs providing a record of construction progress across the project. The drone footage is generally taken over land privately owned by GBC and records construction work, buildings, or the works at the nature reserve at Burpham Court Farm; we are not capturing footage of areas accessible to the general public
Drone number 3: Drone is used approximately every 8-10 weeks, depending on the works being undertaken, and primarily to take still photographs providing a record of construction progress across the project. The drone footage is generally taken over land privately owned by GBC and records construction work, buildings, or the works at the nature reserve at Burpham Court Farm; we are not capturing footage of areas accessible to the general public
Whether drones are deployed routinely for patrols, or only in response to specific incidents, reports, investigations, inspections, or other identified needs.
Only in response to specific incidents or inspections, as detailed above.
Whether deployment logs are maintained and, if so, the categories of information routinely recorded within those logs.
We maintain details of when the drones have been used, as the photographs have the date and time attached to them, however we do not maintain formal deployment logs.
Whether drone imagery, footage, or other data may be shared with police forces and, if so, under what circumstances.
Historically imagery, footage or other data has not been shared with police forces. However, should we be contacted by the police in relation to an ongoing investigation at one of the GBC sites in question then we would want to act collaboratively and share any relevant information, subject to the appropriate council approvals.
Whether any drones are operated by contractors or other organisations on behalf of or in partnership with the council and, if so, the name of the organisation(s).
As detailed above.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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