Groups call for ban on sky lanterns

The Government should act now and make the use of sky lanterns illegal – that is the message from leading farming, environment, animal and fire organisations.

The group, made up of 18 organisations, has written to Environment Minister Rebecca Pow to explain how the Government’s approach not to regulate sky lanterns is now significantly out of date and out of line with other countries, where the release of sky lanterns is considered an environmental crime due to the harm they cause animals, habitats and the countryside.

By enacting Section 140 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Secretary of State can prohibit or restrict the importation, use, supply or storage of injurious substances or articles, such as sky lanterns.

Currently 152 local councils have already banned the release of sky lanterns on council property, but with no national legislation the countryside and our farms remain unprotected.

Mark Bridgeman, President of the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) which represents thousands of farmers, landowners and rural businesses, said: “Put simply, there is no responsible way to use sky lanterns. Releasing a naked flame into the skies, having absolutely no control where it will fall, can pose a significant risk to livestock, wildlife, the environment, and rural businesses.

“The CLA has been campaigning for a complete ban for many years. It’s imperative that government listens to the concerns of those living in the countryside and bans sky lanterns once and for all.”

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, added: “Sky lanterns are a blight on the countryside and incredibly dangerous.

“Once released, there is no way of knowing where they will end up and all too often they end up strewn over fields, causing a major hazard for grazing livestock, not to mention the fire hazard risk they pose.

“It is high time their use was ended swiftly.”

Paul Hedley, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) wildfire lead, said: “NFCC fully supports a ban. Sky lanterns have been proven to start wildfires and property fires, kill or injure livestock, as well as polluting our natural environment. They put unnecessary strain on our critical services. Our advice is simple – don’t use them.”

For more information about the CLA and its work, visit www.cla.org.uk/your-area/ south-east/regional-news and follow @CLASouthEast on Twitter.