Milton Keynes Council is working with partners to trial the use of drones, which could transform the way essential and emergency services are delivered in the future. 

Trials will begin this week to test and demonstrate how new drone-based services can work as part of Milton Keynes’ existing Smart City infrastructure. 

Drone flights will map the area in detail, creating a digital twin which can then be used to inform highways surveys and accident response.

It is hoped the use of drones will be able to help deliver services such as smart traffic monitoring, secure parcel deliveries, remote building inspections and emergency response. The real-time information sharing through drone technologies will allow several services to work together and act faster when responding to incidents and integrating ground and air-based services will also reduce carbon emissions, which supports the city council’s climate change commitments.

The council is working with Cranfield University’s Drone Innovation Hub and Satellite Applications Catapult Westcott DronePort on the 18-month trial, which is funded by the UK Government.

The trial is designed to test the safety and reliability of using drones to inform future policy direction.

Cllr Shanika Mahendran, cabinet member for economy, sustainability, and innovation said: “This is yet another instrumental trial coming to MK to test future technologies. The world is moving fast and I’m proud that we’re leading the way in bringing innovative methods to deliver essential services that our residents and businesses rely on. If the trials are successful, it will also help us meet our climate action ambitions and create new jobs of the future for local people.”