Privacy Policy

Cheshire Drone Inspection & Mapping (CDIM) ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. This policy explains how we collect and use personal data during our aerial drone operations and through our website, in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (amended 2025/2026).

1. Important Information and Who We Are

CDIM is the "Data Controller" responsible for your personal data. Our operations are conducted in strict accordance with CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) 2026 regulations, including the mandatory use of Remote ID and UK Class-Marked aircraft.

Contact Details:

Email: hello@cheshiredronemapping.com

Postal Address: 30 Doreen Avenue, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 3JE, GB

2. The Data We Collect

We collect data through our website (contact forms) and via our aircraft sensors (cameras).

Identity & Contact Data: Name, address, and email provided when booking a survey.

Aerial Imagery Data: High-resolution photos and video data. This may incidentally include "Personal Data" such as:

• Identifiable faces of the public.
• Vehicle registration marks (license plates).
• Views of private property (gardens/interiors) adjacent to a survey site.

Telemetry & Remote ID Data: Live flight paths and Operator IDs broadcast as per 2026 legal requirements.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process personal data when the law allows us to. For drone operations, we rely on:

Contractual Necessity: To perform the survey you have booked.

Legitimate Interests: Our legitimate interest in providing high-quality structural inspections and our clients' interest in asset management. We balance this against public privacy through "Privacy by Design" (see Section 4).

4. "Privacy by Design" Mitigation's

To minimise privacy intrusion, we implement the following:

Nadir-Only (Top-Down) Capture: Where possible, cameras are pointed vertically to avoid capturing horizon-level views of windows or neighboring gardens.

Data Masking: We use software to blur faces and license plates, where needed or requested, in final deliverables before they are shared with clients.

Flight Notifications: For residential surveys, we provide advance notice to neighbors where practical or display signage/QR codes on-site.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your data. We only share data with:

Service Providers: UK-based cloud storage or specialized photogrammetry software (e.g., DroneDeploy/Pix4D) that is fully UK GDPR compliant.

Regulators: The CAA or law enforcement if required under the 2026 Remote ID framework.

6. Data Retention

Client Deliverables: Held for 6-years for insurance and warranty purposes.

Incidental Imagery: Raw footage containing uninvolved persons is deleted within 60-days of the project’s completion.

7. Your Legal Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights including:

Access: The right to ask for copies of your personal data.

Rectification: The right to ask us to correct inaccurate info.

Erasure: The right to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.

Object to Processing: The right to object to our drone flights on privacy grounds.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@cheshiredronemapping.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (www.ico.org.uk).