Sector reference · Updated 7 August 2026
Drone surveys for environmental assessment
High-resolution aerial surveys for habitat mapping, flood risk assessment, watercourse condition and environmental impact reporting — covering large areas quickly without disturbing sensitive habitats.
Short answer
Image Surveys Limited (CAA Operator ID GBR-OP-K3GKP2JCP5DJ) works with ecologists, environmental consultants, land managers and planning professionals who need accurate, non-invasive aerial data for habitat assessment, land-change detection and environmental reporting across the North West.
LiDAR penetrates vegetation to produce bare-earth terrain models for flood risk and drainage modelling. Orthomosaic mapping classifies land use, identifies vegetation change and provides planning-quality evidence at a resolution satellite imagery cannot match. Surveys cover large or inaccessible areas in a single visit without disturbing nesting species or sensitive habitats.
Who we work with
- Ecological consultants and environmental advisers
- Land managers and estate owners
- Planning consultants and EIA specialists
- Water authorities and drainage boards
- Rewilding and conservation organisations
- Local authorities and national park authorities
- Agriculture and farm business consultants
Problems we solve
- Habitat mapping across large or inaccessible areas without ground disturbance
- Watercourse and drainage condition assessments for planning and flood risk
- Land-change detection comparing conditions across multiple survey dates
- Environmental impact assessment supporting data for planning applications
- Non-invasive survey of sensitive habitats, nesting areas and protected species territories
- Vegetation and land-use classification for agri-environment scheme applications
Case study
Lancashire
Watercourse and Habitat Survey for Flood Risk Assessment
An environmental consultancy required aerial survey data to support a flood risk assessment for a proposed residential development adjacent to a watercourse. Ground access to the riverbank was severely restricted and conventional survey would have required specialist access equipment.
Frequently asked questions
Can drone surveys be used near protected species or nesting areas?
Yes. One of the key advantages of aerial survey is that it does not require ground access, meaning sensitive habitats, nesting areas and protected species territories can be surveyed without disturbance. We plan flight paths to minimise overflight of sensitive zones and can time surveys around nesting seasons on request.
Can LiDAR data support a flood risk assessment?
Yes. LiDAR produces accurate bare-earth terrain models by penetrating vegetation to reveal the true ground surface — essential for flood routing, drainage catchment and inundation modelling. Our LiDAR datasets are georeferenced to OS control and compatible with hydrological modelling software.
What formats are environmental data delivered in?
LiDAR data in LAS/LAZ format, orthomosaics in GeoTIFF, terrain models as ASCII or GeoTIFF rasters, and shapefiles for habitat classification. Format is agreed at scoping to match your GIS platform.
Related pages
Discuss your survey
Tell us about the site, the assessment needed and the data format required. We'll confirm the approach and provide a fixed price.