Sorry Monkey Boy about the ban. Your best bet is to get a group of your responsible members and approach the council.
See if you can arrange a meeting with your local councillor(s) and offer to perform a risk assessment and set rules for local flyers i.e. insurance, exclusion zones around paths, specific times or when you can and won't fly. At all times don't get heated he who argues looses the arguement.
P.S. Sorry Sturmovick but that Defra items refers to Coastal area management this guy lives in de Midlands. Though I suppose theres got to be an equivalent for inland management somewhere go to it boy.