The London Borough of Harrow is building a digital twin of its key sites that is already delivering cost savings.
Using Site Scan drone software from Esri UK, Harrow is capturing and processing drone data to create detailed 3D models of key sites, including leisure centres, parks, arts venues and other council buildings. The new data is adding detail to Harrow’s existing low-resolution model, providing a cost-effective hybrid approach to developing a more valuable digital representation of the borough.
Esri’s Site Scan for ArcGIS processes unlimited drone flight data in the cloud to create 2D and 3D outputs- including point clouds and high-quality 3D meshes. Distances, surface areas and volumes can be measured, supporting a wide range of planning and maintenance tasks.
The latest imagery has been used to conduct roof surveys of Headstone Manor & Museum, a Grade I-listed manor house dating back to 1310 and an important part of Harrow’s history. By replacing traditional scaffolding and manual inspections, the new approach saved £12,000 on this project.
Healthier Harrow
Meanwhile, as part of the Healthier Harrow programme, interactive 360-degree imagery of the borough’s parks is being used to encourage greater use of public green space. Canons Park is one of the first examples to go live. Harrow has found that 3D interactive maps are more engaging than 2D visuals when promoting facilities such as parks, leisure centres and libraries.
The next steps include automating the integration of Revit models into the model and training additional staff as drone pilots to meet the growing demand for aerial data. Future plans include incorporating real-time data, such as traffic and weather data, with the model becoming a digital twin. Harrow also plans to test the live monitoring of potential fly-tipping sites using drones.
Ben Jones, head of digital at the London Borough of Harrow, said: “The new drone approach is already saving time and money and fits our mission to work smarter and more efficiently. With minimal investment, the 3D data has the potential to deliver significant financial benefits over the next few years.”
Sam Tizzard, head of GIS and data manager at the London Borough of Harrow, added: “The hybrid approach using high- and low-resolution data keeps development costs down, but delivers detail where it matters most. It’s a low-cost, low-risk strategy for creating a digital twin to drive significant time and cost savings. The potential for ongoing savings in roof inspections alone is huge.”
