Agenda item

To consider the following motion received on notice from Councillors Howell and Loughlin regarding sky lanterns and helium balloons:

1.            “To support a ban on the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons.

2.            To review the terms under which Council land and premises are let to the public with a view to prohibiting their release;

3.            To write to Town and Parish Councils and event venues in Uttlesford highlighting the risks and urging them to introduce voluntary bans;

4.            To write to Uttlesford’s MP urging action at a national level.

5.            To display publicity in Council premises raising awareness of the risks posed.

6.            To treat reports of release of sky lanterns and helium balloons as potential littering offences.”

Please note the additional text submitted in support of the motion as set out in the attached document.

Councillor Howell proposed the following motion:

1. To support a ban on the release of sky lanterns and helium

balloons.

2. To review the terms under which Council land and premises

are let to the public with a view to prohibiting their release;

3. To write to Town and Parish Councils and event venues in

Uttlesford highlighting the risks and urging them to introduce

voluntary bans;

4. To write to Uttlesford’s MP urging action at a national level.

5. To display publicity in Council premises raising awareness of

the risks posed.

6. To treat reports of release of sky lanterns and helium

balloons as potential littering offences.

7. Request the Licensing Committee give consideration to the inclusion of a condition of Entertainment Licenses to prevent balloon and sky lantern release.       

He said that, while not the highest priority, he felt strongly that the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons was damaging to the environment and posed a risk to standing crops, thatched properties and to animals.  As even bamboo lanterns took 30 years or more to degrade, they were a significant litter nuisance.

In a single weekend, within one mile of his house, Councillor Howell had picked up 17 balloons and they were a menace.

After reflection, he proposed deleting the word “helium” wherever it appeared.

Councillor Loughlin said that she fully supported the motion and would second it.

Other councillors spoke in the debate and made the following points:

•           Councillor Chambers agreed with the objectives expressed and said that he would arrange for the Licensing and Environmental Health Committee to consider the terms of the motion.

•           Councillor R Freeman asked to retain the word “helium” as all balloons must have helium to float.  He supported the aims but said the Council would be open to ridicule if it sought to ban balloons.

•           Councillor Lees supported the retention of helium in the motion.  She congratulated Elsenham Parish Council for already acting to ban lanterns and balloons on parish owned land.

•           Councillor Ranger agreed with Councillor Freeman’s suggestion.

•           Councillor Jones suggested the words “gas filled” instead of helium.

•           Councillor Fairhurst opposed any ban unsupported by research.

•           Councillor Hargreaves asked whether there was any knowledge of the number of professional balloon releases and said that a ban should extend to firework displays as these caused a littering nuisance.  The selective banning of balloon releases would open the Council to ridicule.

•           Councillor S Barker supported the inclusion of paragraph 7 for the Licensing Committee to consider.  Tendring District Council had already acted in this respect.

•           Councillor Knight said she supported the general aims but would have a problem with including the word “ban”.

•           Councillor Asker said she would support restrictions on lanterns but would prefer to concentrate on littering problems in general.

•           Councillor Goddard asked for the motion to be rewritten for consideration at a later date as he doubted a ban would be enforceable.  Helium balloons were used for space exploration and could land in Uttlesford having been released elsewhere.

Councillor Howell summed up the debate.  He was grateful for the interest generated by his motion.  He emphasised that his intention in drafting the motion was to seek support for a ban on the release of lanterns and balloons, but not to impose a general ban as the Council had no powers of enforcement.  However, it was possible to agree to prohibit their release from Council owned land.  He proposed writing to seek the support of parish councils. 

There were significant risks including to wildlife.  He agreed with Councillor Asker it was part of a wider littering problem but did not propose to include the banning of fireworks in the motion.

He now intended to put the motion using the original wording including the word “helium”.

Councillor Loughlin supported this intention.

The motion was put to the vote and carried with no one voting against.

RESOLVED to adopt in full the terms of the motion set out in this Minute in respect of sky lanterns and helium balloons and to carry out the actions indicated