How Neath Port Talbot Council Centralised Drone Operations Across Six Departments

Scalable, compliant multi-department drone operations delivering safety, cost savings and public transparency. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council was one of the early adopters of drone technology within Local Government. Facing increasing public service demands alongside financial pressures, the Council recognised the need to embrace innovative tools that could deliver both efficiency and better outcomes.

Today, drone operations span multiple departments, supporting engineering, transport, public safety, digital communications and regeneration projects across the region.

Like many councils, it had to maintain high standards and public safety despite tight budgets.

Although drones reduced costs, the key driver was the superior data they provide. As Matthew Bevan explains, LiDAR captures millions of data points beneath old mining spoil heaps, enabling far more precise long-term movement monitoring than traditional surveying methods.

As drone use expanded across departments, the Council needed to ensure:

• High and consistent operational standards
• Clear visibility across nearly 20 pilots
• Shared drone usage across six departments
• Audit readiness and regulatory compliance

Maintaining oversight and consistency across a growing, cross-departmental operation presented a new administrative and compliance challenge.

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council adopted the Atoll Drone Management System to centralise oversight of its drone operations.

With nearly 20 pilots working across six departments, the platform provides a single, intuitive dashboard that brings together pilot activity, flight logs, risk assessments, maintenance records and compliance documentation in one secure system.

This improves visibility and consistency across teams, while enabling staff to instantly access accurate records and confidently prepare for CAA audits. Beyond compliance, drones have enhanced safety by enabling inspections of bridges, retaining walls and spoil heaps without engineers working at height.

The system has also streamlined on-site processes, allowing compliance tasks to be completed in the field and giving teams more time to focus on content creation.

The Council’s drone programme now delivers measurable value across operations, safety and governance. Centralised oversight and standardised processes have improved efficiency, strengthened compliance and enhanced public engagement.

• Reduced survey costs and faster infrastructure inspections
• Safer inspections with less working at height
• Oversight of 20 pilots across six departments
• Instant access to CAA-ready compliance records

Operational efficiency has improved through higher-quality data and streamlined workflows.

Centralised governance ensures consistent drone use across departments, with instant access to CAA-ready compliance records. Aerial visuals have also strengthened public engagement, generating wider interest and impact.

“We want people of this area to realise we’re proactive when it comes to using technology to keep them safe and get the best value for money. Atoll’s DMS means I can head out on location and do all my compliance work on-site, much faster than before, so I can get on with creating footage as soon as there is news to report.”

Jay Curtis.
Digital Marketing Officer
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council