Stricter measures to ban people releasing Chinese lanterns in Redcar and Cleveland are to be put in place by the council due to the fire risk they pose.
A motion, which was moved by Cllr Watts of Belmont ward and seconded by Cllr Lockwood of Kirkleatham ward, was passed at yesterday's (Thursday 15 April) full council meeting.
The motion stated:
“Around 8pm on Saturday 20 February 2021, a large Chinese lantern, over 2ft in height, blew in from Guisborough and struck a barn in a secluded spot in my Ward and set fire to the hay and straw. It was fortunate that several people were still attending to the 10 horses in the nearby stables and they were able to put out the subsequent fire in the hay and straw stored in the barn. No horses were injured and there was limited damage to the straw and hay in the barn. I dread to think what would have happened if nobody had been around at the time.
“I acknowledge that Chinese lanterns and balloons are often released in memory of a loved one, but it can be very dangerous to put a naked flame inside flimsy paper and send it off into the unknown, particularly in rural areas. These lanterns are not only a serious fire risk but pose a choking threat to wildlife and livestock and can also cause false callouts to the coastguard. Similarly, helium balloons can cause significant harm by entanglement and choking and take considerably longer to degrade than paper lanterns.
“Many Councils, including neighbouring North Yorkshire, have banned the sale and release of such lanterns and balloons from council land and premises. In fact, this Council passed a resolution in June 2014, banning the use and sale of sky lanterns from its own land and premises, so, given this latest incident, it seems that wider measures should be considered, alongside an appropriate publicity campaign to raise awareness of the damage that these items can cause.
“Accordingly, this Council resolves that a report setting out the options for introducing more effective measures to ban the sale and use of Chinese lanterns and the release of helium balloons within the Borough should be produced for Cabinet to consider at the earliest possible opportunity, with a view to implementing the most appropriate option and an associated communications strategy as a matter of urgency, subject to any legal requirements."