Argyll and Bute Council has announced on its website that its “innovative pilot project to deliver school meals by drones has won a COSLA 2023 Excellence Awards in the Service, Innovation and Improvement category.”
According to the press release “The pilot project in 2022, aimed to test the use of drones to reach rural and remote schools that currently rely on traditional methods of transport to deliver school meals including taxis, ferries and vans.
“In a UK first, Argyll and Bute Council teamed up with leading drone specialists Skyports last year, to trial the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in delivering school meals. Flying from Oban Airport, the trial involves delivering meals freshly prepared in Park Primary School in Oban to Lochnell Primary, 1.5km away.
“Following the success of the pilot project, further trials to help establish additional use of drones across remote and rural parts of the area will take place later this year. Drones are an environmentally efficient way of travelling as they do not burn fossil fuel and in some of our rural or island schools it can be challenging to recruit catering staff.
“The council has ambitious plans to create the UK’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) logistics and training hub at Oban Airport through its Rural Growth Deal. The first phase of this has received planning approval.”
Councillor Robin Currie, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council said “Our geography here in Argyll and Bute, and ongoing budget cuts means that it’s essential to keep developing innovative solutions to deliver services to our remote and rural communities. We look forward to exploring further use of drone technology as our plans for the logistics and training hub progress.”
For more information
https://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/news/2023/oct/council-flying-high-drone-services-award
(Image: Kevin McGlynn)