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Amazon has told Darlington Council that its drones will make less noise than delivery vans as it looks to gain permission for a trial of drone delivery.
According to reports from The Telegraph, documents submitted to the council by Amazon claim the drone noise “is likely to be marginally less or similar to that experienced during a residential delivery via van.”
The ecommerce giant has claimed that the drones will omit no more than 72 decibels of sound, comparable to a washing machine or shower.
Tetra Tech, the consulting firm which has supported Amazon’s application, said: “The duration of the drone delivery is very short (30 seconds), compared to the van delivery (two minutes) and similarly events from a van delivery such as van door banging brake, manoeuvring and knocking on doors, are likely to be more potentially disturbing events than the drone delivery.”
The trial plans to use four drones which will operate from Amazon’s warehouse in Darlington. The drones will fly between 55 and 85 metres in the air and will drop packages into residents’ gardens from four metres up.
The company plans to run the scheme on weekdays between 9am and 5pm, weather permitting, with the fleet capable of completing 21 flights an hour. However, some residents have expressed concern about the noise of the drones.
Amazon previously attempted to trial drone delivery in the UK before shifting the trials to the US. The retailer has stated that it is working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority on autonomous drone delivery trials.
Retail Sector has approached Amazon UK for comment.
