Privacy Policy

Privacy policy

Introduction

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data.  This privacy policy describes how we look after your personal data and advises you about your privacy rights, and how the law protects you.

Changes to this policy

We review this privacy policy at regular intervals.  This version was last updated in March 2021.

Third party links

Our website may include links to third party websites, plug-ins, and applications.  Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you.  We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements.

Personal data we receive

Personal data (or personal information) means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified.  It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you such as:

  • Identity data (including your first name, last name, marital status, title, and gender).

  • Contact data (including your address, email address, telephone contact numbers, website address and social media contact information).

  • Technical Data (including internet protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform, and other technology on the devices you use to access this website).

  • Usage Data (including information about how you use our website and services).

How your personal data is collected

We use several methods to collect personal data including:

  • Direct interactions.  For example, you might give us your identity and contact data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise.  This includes personal data you provide when you contact us to request information about our services.

  • Automated technologies or interactions.  As you interact with our website, we will automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns.  We collect this personal data by using cookies and other similar technologies.

  • Third parties or publicly available sources.  We will receive personal data about you from various third parties and public sources such as:

  • analytics providers, such as Google based outside the EU.

  • search information providers, such as Google based outside the EU.

Learn about how Google uses your Personal Information at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

You can opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

How your personal data will be used

We will only use your data in circumstances where data protection legislation allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

  • Where we need to perform a contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you.

  • To provide you with information and/or services that you request from us.  We may also send you details of other products and services offered by us.

  • Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.

  • Where we need to comply with a legal obligation.

Sharing personal data

When a specific service is being provided on our behalf we will ensure that your personal information is handled as if we were processing it ourselves and under the same terms as this privacy notice.  We will only share the minimum information that the other party needs to undertake the service, and we will ensure that they keep your information secure.

Data retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for.  We will retain your contact information for our records unless you ask us to delete it.

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

  • Your right of access.  You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

  • Your right to rectification.  You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate.  You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

  • Your right to erasure.  You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to restriction of processing.  You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to object to processing.  You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to data portability. You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights.  If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Complaints

You can complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data by contacting them at:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Contact us

For more information, if you have questions, or would like to make a complaint, please email David Lindsay at mail@stoneworks.scot.

Or send surface mail to:

David Lindsay, Stoneworks, 16 Haymarket Crescent, Livingston, EH54 8AP, United Kingdom

Drone Survey policy

Drone Operations

Project: General surveying operations

Effective Date: 29 March 2025

Prepared by: David Lindsay | Proprietor

Contact: Phone – 07860819049 | Email – mail@stoneworks.scot

Introduction and Project Overview

We employ drone technology to perform detailed aerial surveys of buildings in residential, commercial, industrial, and recreational areas across the UK. Our drones are fitted with high-resolution cameras which offer live views and capture high-resolution imagery for a variety of purposes.

We operate drones for –

• Marketing and sales

• Inspection and maintenance

• Research and development

• Compliance with building regulations

Drone technology improves our operational efficiency, streamlining the building survey process while reducing risk and cost compared to traditional methods. Drones provide unique perspectives and a means of visually observing and recording areas that would otherwise be difficult or unsafe for us to reach. Operations can be carried out quickly with minimal disturbance and inconvenience to uninvolved people.

While the focus is on the subject building, during operations carried out in public areas there is a possibility of incidental capture of personal data such as images and video (with geolocation data) of individuals and vehicle license plates.

Description of Data Processing Activities

Data captured by the drone (imagery, telemetry etc) is transmitted back to the controller in real time and stored onboard the drone.

We deploy drones in manual or semiautonomous flight modes –

• Manual: The operator has full control over the drone's movements, using a remote controller or similar device.

• Semiautonomous: The drone operates using programmed instructions, with the operator providing occasional inputs.

Data is recorded on the drone’s built-in memory and on a removable media (SD card). Some data is cached briefly on the drone’s system during flight. The recorded data is transferred to a password protected personal computer (PC) or similar device at the earliest opportunity following the survey. Sharing of data is restricted to authorised personnel and clients. Occasionally we use imagery captured by the drone for in-house marketing purposes.

The drone systems we use collect the following types of data –

• Visual Data: High-resolution photos and videos for media, mapping, and inspections.

• GPS and Location Data: Precise geospatial information for mapping, navigation, and tracking purposes.

• Flight telemetry Data: Metrics such as altitude, speed, orientation, GPS position, battery status, and environmental conditions for navigation and stability, mission performance, post flight analysis, and regulatory compliance.

We retain the data captured by our drones for as long as necessary to meet defined operational, regulatory, and legal requirements. When no longer required, data is securely deleted.

Consultation Process

If appropriate we will try to arrange drone operations at a time or day, such as early in the morning or at a weekend, when there is a lower chance of public encroachment.

In busy town and city environments where drone operations are likely to affect public areas or involve incidental personal data capture, we will consider the use of various mechanisms to create public awareness such as leaflet drops, Hi-Viz clothing, temporary barriers and signage. If notices and signage are used, they will include our website address where the public can find details of the nature of our work and a copy of our Privacy Notice.

In addition to our client, we will discuss planned drone operations with building owners (or managers), local authorities or regulators. If necessary, we will inform Police Scotland and obtain an incident report number. If the operation involves other regulatory oversight (like the CAA) we will ensure their guidelines are adhered to. If flights are to be conducted near areas of increased sensitivity, such as schools, we will arrange a meeting with the authorised representative to discuss and address any potential concerns in advance.

Necessity and Proportionality

By using drones, we benefit from improved operational safety and efficiency. They reduce the need for working at height or in hazardous areas. The high-resolution imagery and precise geolocation they provide enables more accurate surveys and quicker identification of issues. Compared to traditional methods the technology provides a less labour-intensive approach, reducing overheads and costs.

Legal and Regulatory Framework –

• UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018: All data processing must conform to the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, data minimisation, accuracy, and secure processing.

• ICO Guidance: Operations will be aligned with recommendations provided by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Lawful Basis for our drone operations –

• Legitimate Interests: The use of drone technology helps ensure efficient, safe, and effective building surveys, particularly when accessing difficult or hazardous sites. This interest supports asset maintenance and public safety, outweighing the minimal risks posed by incidental data capture.

• Consent (if applicable): Where practicable, consideration will be given to additional consent or notification. The primary focus of the drone survey is building structures, and any incidental personal data captured will either be anonymised (by digital cropping or blurring) or handled according to UK data protection guidelines.

Fairness and Transparency –

• Public Notice: In areas where our surveys may inadvertently capture identifiable personal data, consideration will be given to public notices or signage to inform individuals of the operations and data processing practices.

• Data Minimisation: The drone’s configuration (flight paths, camera angles) is designed to limit the capture of non-essential data.

Proportionality –

• Targeted Data Capture: Efforts are made to capture only the data necessary for the purposes of the survey.

• Minimisation of Personal Data: Incidental capture of personal data is minimised by editing and anonymisation.

• Data Retention: Data is not kept longer than necessary for operational, regulatory, and legal requirements.