Isle of Wight seaside protest over drone trial and car park closure

But the Isle of Wight Council insists all proper procedures have been followed.

Shouts of "no drones here" and banners saying 'no drone zone' were held aloft as more than 50 people turned out in protest on Tuesday, July 30.

They gathered at Mornington Road Car Park, where, from next Wednesday (August 7), commercial drone flights are due to take off and land.

Operator Inteliports hopes the project will create a drone corridor to Fawley on the mainland, improving the community's access to goods and decarbonising Island logistics.

Read more: 

• Isle of Wight drone flights to the mainland for 6 month trial
• Isle of Wight drone trial could be game changer says Inteliports

(Image: IWCP)

Gilly Hall (Image: IWCP)

Resident Gilly Hall, who lives on Cliff Road next to the car park, said the area is "totally unsuitable" for the trial.

"It is full of wildlife such as red squirrels, foxes, bats and song thrushes", she said.

Gilly said the nearby village green and car park are used all summer.

"We're really angry and upset about it", she said.

In a letter to some residents, the council previously said local ecologists found "no significant impact" to wildlife.

But David Clementi, who lives about 20 yards from the car park, said residents can find no evidence of a proper ecology study.

Plans were first unveiled at a stakeholder event in April, but locals say they were not aware nor invited.

"We, the residents who elect the councillors, are the most important stakeholder and we have not been talked to at all", David said.

David Clementi (Image: IWCP)

Siobhan Barney (Image: IWCP)

"How can a site in the middle of Cowes could possibly be chosen as a sensible logistics hub for the Island? It's ridiculous."

Cowes town councillor Siobhan Barney claims the town council hasn't been consulted, either, and is looking at an injunction to stop the plans.

"We've been told that it officially doesn't need planning but we haven't got consensus from the public", she said.

The council said it was unable to facilitate residents at the initial consultation, due to the number of attendees confirming prior to event, but representatives from Cowes Town Council did attend.

A spokesperson said: "Ongoing consultation is active and monitored via emails which have been established by both the Isle of Wight Council and Inteliports to answer any questions and to look to make adjustments where possible.”

Cllr Peter Spink, whose ward is Freshwater North and Yarmouth, said he was so "incensed" he came over to Cowes for the protest.

Cllr Peter Spink (Image: IWCP)

Mornington Road and the village green (Image: IWCP)

"I don't believe that due process has been followed", he said.

A council spokesperson said: "The Isle of Wight Council has followed all proper procedures in relation to closing the carpark and notice boards will be put up shortly."

They added that the car park sees "very limited" use.

"In a full year, we would expect approximately 850-900 transactions", the spokesperson said.

"We would expect 130-150 of these transactions to be in the period August 8 to February 8 that the trial has been granted."