Ceredigion County Council website

Our Integrated Impact Assessment is designed to help our decision making and ensure that a proposal:

• is aligned to the Council’s Corporate Well-being Objectives
• complies with the Equality Act 2010, including our socio-economic duty
• complies with the Welsh Language Measure 2011 (Welsh Language requirements)
• contributes to the National Well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and incorporates the principles of Sustainable Development
• considers risk management

The Integrated Impact Assessment is categorised into the 7 National Well-being Goals for Wales:

1. A prosperous Wales – where everyone has jobs and there is no poverty
2. A resilient Wales – where we’re prepared for things like floods
3. A healthier Wales – where everyone is healthier and can see the doctor when they need to
4. A more equal Wales – where everyone has an equal chance whatever their background
5. A Wales of cohesive communities – where communities can live happily together
6. A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language – where we have lots of opportunities to do different things and where people can speak Welsh if they want to
7. A globally responsible Wales – where we look after the environment and think about other people around the world

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Proposal Details

Title of Policy / Proposal / Initiative

• Draft Drone & Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) policy.

Service Area

• Policy, Performance and Public Protection.

Officer completing Integrated Impact Assessment

• Timothy Bray, Partnerships Manager

Corporate Lead Officer

• Alun Williams

Please give a brief description of the purpose of the proposal

Ceredigion County Council secured funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner via the Home Office’s Anti-Social Behaviour Hotspot Response Fund. The funding supports the Council’s strategy to enhance anti-social behaviour enforcement through the use of modern technology.

Ceredigion County Council seeks to adopt unmanned aerial vehicle technology to support a range of Overt  local authority monitoring and official inspection functions, the primary focus being on tackling anti-social behaviour. The emphasis is on investigation and deterrence. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Conducting randomised, overt, high-visibility aerial patrols over designated anti-social behaviour  hotspots.
• Accompanied by prominent public signage to ensure transparency and awareness of monitoring and enforcement operations.
• Overt collection of evidence to support investigative and enforcement actions.

UAVs could also be deployed overtly to enhance operational effectiveness in instances of pollution incidents, fly tipping, abandoned dogs and event safety.

Who will be directly affected by this proposal?

The general public and staff members

Have those who will be affected by the proposal had the opportunity to comment on it? Please provide details.

Elements of the policy has been compiled with the assistance of Legal and Governance Services and the Data Protection Team. The draft policy was presented for scrutiny on 11/11/2025.

A 6-week public consultation is scheduled to take place in December 2025/January 2026.

 

Version Control

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Council Corporate Well-being Objectives

Which of the Council’s Corporate Well-being Objectives does this proposal address and how?

Ceredigion Council Corporate Strategy 2022-27

Boosting the economy, supporting business, and enabling employment

• Doesn’t directly contribute but will result in savings by having technology in house to provide more economic inspections of Council buildings and other building development.

Creating caring and healthy communities

• Doesn’t directly contribute but will help to tackle anti–social behaviour and monitoring of safety at events.

Providing the best start in life and enabling learning at all ages

• Doesn't contribute.

Creating sustainable, greener, and well-connected communities

• Will directly contribute to improved environmental monitoring.

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National Well-being Goal: A Prosperous Wales

An innovative, productive, and low carbon society where everyone has decent work and there is no poverty.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

 

Positive

Use of technology contributes to innovation to improve economic performance. Improvements in the  evidence gathering capability of officers ensures that legislation that supports the economy is enforced more effectively. Drones are particularly valuable in scenarios where safety risks to staff exist, contributing to the principles of Fair Work.

Negative

Use of technology can result in redundancies but the impact in this case is negligible. The use of Drones is designed to increase operational effectiveness; no redundancies are planned as a consequence of the policy.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

Technological advancements increase productivity by automating tasks, optimising processes, and reducing waste. Modern systems can streamline evidence handling, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure compliance with legal standards. This prevents mishandling and accelerates investigations, which is critical for enforcing laws that underpin economic stability.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to this National Well-being Goal?

The consultation may provide other areas where the use of ariel platforms could drive innovation.

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National Well-being Goal: A Resilient Wales

A society where biodiversity is maintained and enhanced and where ecosystems are healthy and functioning.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

The use of Drones will increase efficiency and capability in many Council activities, for example, monitoring of anti-social behaviour hotspots and other environmental/trading standards activities, for example fly tipping, pollution incidents and detection of illegal disposal of animal carcasses.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

We have researched and witnessed innovative and successful use of Drone technology in several local authorities and public organisations.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to this National Well-being Goal?

Maintain good communications with the public re privacy controls and data handling.
The technology will only be used in appropriate circumstances and within guidelines. Internal usage policy for authorisation by CLO’s and compliance with Civil Aviation Laws by trained operators.

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National Well-being Goal: A Healthier Wales

A society where people make healthy choices and enjoy good physical and mental health.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

No positive or negative impacts identified.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

 

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to this National Well-being Goal?

The public consultation may reveal impact on this goal.

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National Well-being Goal: A More Equal Wales

A society where everyone has an equal chance whatever their background or circumstances.

This section is longer because you are asked to assess the impact of your proposal on each group that is protected by the Equality Act 2010.

If you have identified no greater impact on the groups listed than on the general population, you should select ‘None/Negligible’.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people because of their age?

 

Children and Young People up to 18

• None / Negligible

People 18-50

• None / Negligible

Older people 50+

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts.

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on people specifically due to their age. Young people may be more likely to take part in anti-social behaviour than adults and older people may feel safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been identified. 

What evidence do you have to support this?

Evidence indicates that antisocial behaviour is more prevalent among young people than adults. However, most youth-related ASB declines with age, while persistent offenders represent a smaller subgroup. Public perception often exaggerates the link between youth and ASB.

Older people are more likely to feel unsafe in their local community, primarily due to vulnerability factors and perceptions of neighbourhood disorder, rather than actual crime risk.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

Deliver an effective communication campaign and signage to highlight our policy on use of Drones.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people because of their disability?

 

Hearing Impairment

• None / Negligible

Physical Impairment

• None / Negligible

Visual Impairment

• None / Negligible

Learning Disability

• None / Negligible

Long Standing Illness

• None / Negligible

Mental Health

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts.

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on disabled people specifically. Disabled people may feel safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Census 2021 reported that 21.9% of people in Ceredigion consider themselves as disabled.
Research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Living Streets shows that disabled people report feeling less safe walking or wheeling alone in all settings than non-disabled people. This includes local streets and public areas, especially after dark.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

Explore the potential of providing accessible public information signs at ASB hotspots to inform and  reassure public of the use of technology to combat instances of ASB e.g. QR code to BSL, or read aloud  versions of the information.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people who are transgender?

 

Trans Women

• None / Negligible

Trans Men

• None / Negligible

Non-binary people

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on transgender people specifically, it could result in them feeling safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Census 2021 showed us that 84 people in Ceredigion have a gender identity different from their sex  registered at birth, but no specific identity was provided; There are 73 trans women and 62 trans men. 143  people are non-binary and 66 people provided other gender identities.

A YouGov poll (2025) commissioned by the Good Law Project found that 84% of trans people in the UK believe Britain is “fairly unsafe” or “very unsafe” for them. Nearly two-thirds (65%) reported experiencing verbal abuse in public spaces, and almost one in four (24%) had suffered physical violence.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

The public consultation could uncover further impact that we’re not aware of.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people with different sexual orientation?

 

Bisexual

• None / Negligible

Gay Men

• None / Negligible

Gay Women/Lesbian

• None / Negligible

Heterosexual/Straight

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on people specifically because of their sexual orientation. It could result in them feeling safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been  identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Census 2021 reports show that 1,617 people (2.6%) of the Ceredigion population are bisexual, 941 people (1.5%) are gay or lesbian.

A YouGov poll found that LGBTQ+ Britons (including LGB individuals) are significantly less likely to feel safe in public compared to heterosexual people. Many avoid public displays of affection due to fear of  harassment:

• 71% of gay men and 66% of lesbian women refrain from showing affection in public because of safety concerns.
• Only 36% of lesbian women say they never feel unsafe walking with their partner in the daytime, dropping to 10% at night.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

The public consultation could uncover further impact that we’re not aware of. 

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people who are married or in a civil partnership?

 

People who are married

• None / Negligible

People in a civil partnership

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

No negative or positive impact identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

There is no evidence to suggest that this group would be affected differently to any other group.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

The public consultation could uncover impact that we’re not aware of.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people who are pregnant or on maternity leave?

 

Pregnancy

• None / Negligible

Maternity

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

No negative or positive impact identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

There is no evidence to suggest that this group would be affected differently to any other group.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to positive impacts?

The public consultation could uncover impact that we’re not aware of.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people because of their ethnic origin?

 

Asian / Asian British

• None / Negligible

Black / African / Caribbean / Black British

• None / Negligible

Mixed / Multiple Ethnic Groups

• None / Negligible

White

• None / Negligible

Other Ethnic Groups

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on people specifically because of their ethnic origin. It could result in them feeling safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Census 2021 reports that:

• 1.5% of Ceredigion residents are Asian / Asian British / Asian Welsh
• 1.2% are mixed or multiple ethnic groups
• 0.5 % are Black / Black British or Welsh / African / Caribbean0.5% are another ethnic group

The Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) found that more than a third of minority ethnic respondents had experienced racist assaults, and over a quarter reported verbal abuse. These experiences occurred across everyday settings, including housing, education, and public spaces.

Hate crime statistics show persistent racial hostility: race-related hate crimes remain the most common category in England and Wales.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

The public consultation could uncover further impact that we’re not aware of.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people with different religions, beliefs, or non-beliefs?

 

Buddhist

• None / Negligible

Christian

• None / Negligible

Hindu

• None / Negligible

Humanist

• None / Negligible

Jewish

• None / Negligible

Muslim

• None / Negligible

Sikh

• None / Negligible

Non-belief

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on people specifically because of their religion. It could result in  them feeling safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Census 2021 shows us that:

• 47% of Ceredigion residents are Christian (33,409 people)
• 43% have no religion (30,749 people)
• 0.9% have an ‘other’ religion (677 people)
• 0.7% are Muslim (515 people)
• 0.5% are Buddhist (378 people)
• 0.2% are Hindu (158 people)
• 0.1% are Jewish (75 people)
• 0.0% are Sikh (35 people)

Religious hate crime in England and Wales reached a record high in 2023/24, with 10,484 incidents reported, up from 6,383 in 2021/22. These crimes include verbal abuse, harassment, and physical attacks, creating  widespread fear among religious communities.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

The public consultation could uncover further impact that we’re not aware of.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on men or women?

 

Men

• None / Negligible

Women

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Use of drones is unlikely to have an impact on people specifically because of their sex. It could result in women in particular feeling safer in anti-social behaviour hotspots. However, a negligible impact has been  identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

Women in the UK are significantly more likely than men to feel unsafe in their local communities, especially after dark. This fear is linked to high rates of harassment, gender-based violence, and inadequate safety  measures in public spaces.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between men and women?

None identified; however, the public consultation could reveal further impact.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people from the Armed Forces Community?

Members of the Armed Forces

• None / Negligible

Veterans

• None / Negligible

Spouses

• None / Negligible

Children

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

No negative or positive impact identified.

What evidence do you have to support this?

There is no evidence to suggest that this group would be affected differently to any other group

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Not applicable.

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Socio-economic Duty

Socio-economic disadvantage means living on a low income compared to others in Wales, with little or no accumulated wealth, making it more difficult to access basic goods and services.

Family background or where a person is born still affects their life. For example, a child from a wealthy family often does better at school than a child from a poor family, even if the poorer child is more naturally academic. This is sometimes called socio-economic inequality.

Do you think this proposal will have a positive or a negative impact on people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage?

• None / Negligible

Describe the positive or negative impacts

Positive: people living in more deprived areas may feel safer if they know that this policy may result in increased monitoring of anti-social behaviour.

Negative: anti-social behaviour hotspots are more likely to be in more deprived areas. This could result in people in those neighbourhoods feeling ‘spied upon.’ However, the drone policy outlines various potential enforcement activity and it’s unlikely that drones will be regularly flying over deprived neighbourhoods. The impact is therefore judged to be negligible.

What evidence do you have to support this?

The Carnegie UK “Life in the UK” Index found that people in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to  report feeling unsafe walking alone after dark compared to those in the least deprived areas. They also report lower trust in local councils and policing, which compounds insecurity.

What action(s) can you to take to mitigate any negative impacts?

Is there an opportunity to use this proposal to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity or encourage good relations between people in this group and the rest of the population?

Deliver an effective communication campaign and signage to highlight our policy on use of Drones.

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National Well-being Goal: A Wales of Cohesive Communities

A society with attractive, viable, safe, and well-connected communities.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

Use of drones is likely to contribute to communities feeling safer if they are confident in our appropriate use of Drones and if levels of anti-social behaviour are lowered.

The consultation and promotion campaign aims to encourage people to engage with us and influence local decisions.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

The technology will be used to boost efficiency in enforcement and monitoring anti-social behaviour.

A consultation campaign is taking place in December 2025/January 2026.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to the goal?

Public information signs at anti-social behaviour hotspots will be used to inform and reassure public of the use of technology to combat instances of anti-social behaviour.

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National Well-being Goal: A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language

A society that that promotes and protects culture, heritage, and the Welsh language and which encourages people to take part in the arts, sports, and recreation.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

Contribution to this goal is overall positive. Proposed use of Drones includes scanning for planning breaches which could result in protection or listed buildings and other sites of heritage significance. They could be used to monitor safety at big arts, sports and recreation events. There is potential for them to be used to help raise interest in the culture and heritage of Ceredigion.

No negative impact has been identified.

What evidence do you have to support this view?

Ceredigion County Council Drone Policy.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to the goal?

None identified to date. The consultation may help us to identify more.

With reference to the following, do you think this proposal will have a positive or negative effect on the Welsh language?

Opportunities for people to use the Welsh language

• None / Negligible

Treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language

• None / Negligible

What evidence do you have to support this view?

The Drone policy does not intend to contribute to raised awareness of the Welsh language or increased  opportunities for people to use the Welsh language. All information provided to the public will, of course be  available bilingually.

What action(s) can you take to increase the positive impact or mitigate any negative impact on the Welsh language?

The consultation may help us identify further action that we could take.

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National Well-being Goal: A Globally Responsible Wales

A society that considers how our actions might impact on other countries and people around the world.

Does the proposal contribute to this goal? Describe the positive or negative impacts.

Use of drones could result in reduced carbon emissions if it results in less travelling to sites and scenarios. The impact is however negligible

What evidence do you have to support this view?

In 2023, it was estimated that emissions released into the atmosphere directly from within Wales totalled  34.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e).This is a decrease of 6% since 2022. The decrease  from 2022 to 2023 continues a recent trend of more significant reductions, with an overall decline of 29%  between 2016 and 2023.

Three main sectors contributed to the latest year’s decline.

1. Energy supply: Fluctuating activity at power stations has had a notable impact on emissions in this  sector. Emissions from power stations fell by 29% between 2022 and 2023, following a 42% increase  between 2020 and 2022.
2. Domestic transport: Emissions from this sector decreased by 2% between 2022 and 2023, despite an  overall increase since the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions in 2020.
3. Residential buildings: Emissions fell by 6% between 2022 and 2023, continuing a downward trend  observed since 2021.

What action(s) can you take to mitigate any negative impacts or better contribute to the goal?

None identified. The consultation may identify further actions that we could take.

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Strengthening the Proposal

If you have identified any negative impacts in the above sections, please provide details of any practical changes and actions that could help remove or reduce the negative impacts.

If no action is to be taken to remove or mitigate negative impacts, please justify why. (If you have identified any unlawful discrimination then the proposal must be changed or revised.)

Not applicable.

How will you monitor the impact and effectiveness of the proposal?

Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny committee has requested regular reports on the use of drones.

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Sustainable Development Principle: 5 Ways of Working

Describe below how you have implemented the five ways of working in accordance with the sustainable development principle of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Long term - balancing short-term needs with long-term need and planning for the future.

• Although the funding was provided for tackling anti-social behaviour, the grant providers have approved broadening the use of the technology to provide efficiencies in other areas of activity by the council, resulting in long term benefits for all services.

Collaboration - working together with other partners to deliver.

• The drone pilots will work closely with drone operators in Dyfed Powys Police to share best practice and  learning.

Involvement - involving those with an interest and seeking their views.

• A public consultation on the proposed policy is taking place in December 2025/January 2026.

Prevention - putting resources into preventing problems occurring or getting worse.

• Prevention and deterrence of anti-social behaviour and other breaches that require evidence to help with enforcement. More efficient inspections of council properties will support better maintenance and  early detection of problems.

Integration
Considering the impact of your proposal on the four pillars of well-being (social, economic, cultural and environment) the objectives of other public bodies and across service areas in the Council.

• The drone policy will have a positive impact on the four pillars of well-being; no significant negative  impacts have been identified. There is potential to work with other public bodies to help them meet  their objectives, for example Dyfed Powys Police and National Resources Wales.

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Risk

Summarise the risk associated with the proposal.