Surveyors to Drone Pilots

10 October 2023

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This past month, the exciting new toy in the office has been a drone! After some extensive Top Gun level flight training, our surveyors have been let out to fly it on inspections and surveys. Here is what they have to say about utilising the drone.

In the past month, I have found the drone to be an invaluable addition to our toolkit during surveys. While the mechanical hoist still plays a crucial role in most of our inspections, the drone offers a faster, more cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative for inspecting roofs and other high-level areas of the buildings we survey. - George Watts, Building Surveyor

One of the major advantages of using a drone is its ability to cover a wider area of land without compromising the quality of the inspection. This means that we can efficiently assess larger extensive land areas in a shorter amount of time. By capturing aerial images and videos, we can obtain a comprehensive overview of the entire site, identifying any potential issues or areas of concern. - Tomos Davies, Rural Surveyor

Using drones to market properties in the agency department has provided a fresh perspective on sites. Previously, only larger sites would have had access to drone photography, but now we can offer it for all our properties to clients. By visually showing the property's location on the ground, rather than just on a map, potential clients can gain a better understanding of the surrounding area.

Overall, the drone has revolutionized our surveying process, offering enhanced efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety. It has become an indispensable tool that enables us to conduct thorough inspections while covering a wider area of land and ensuring the highest quality standards.

Please enjoy some of the photos taken over the past month.

Cooke & Arkwright have been providing rating valuation advice to The Welsh Rugby Union Limited (“WRU”) and Millennium Stadium plc for many years. They were recently successful in achieving substantial reductions in the assessments of the Millennium Stadium, covering both the 2005 and 2010 rating list. These negotiated reductions yielded savings of c.£3.5m which, crucially, allows the WRU to re-invest in rugby throughout Wales. They advise the WRU across the group portfolio including the National Centre of Excellence in the Vale of Glamorgan. The valuation issues across the WRU portfolio are complex requiring a high level of understanding of the funding and finances of professional sport in Wales. Cooke & Arkwright’s experience and understanding of these issues and application to the rating valuation have yielded these substantial negotiated reductions. The WRU and the Millennium Stadium entrust our work to organisations with the required levels in experience and expertise in dealing with these complex issues. I am glad to say we have this expertise in Wales. I would have no hesitation in recommending ratepayers making use of this Welsh based expertise.

The Welsh Rugby Union Limited, Welsh Rugby Union Group