Plan to prohibit sky lanterns rejected
Getty ImagesA council motion to prohibit the use of sky lanterns and balloons on land owned or managed by the authority has been rejected.
Members of Cumberland Council met at the Civic Centre in Carlisle to vote on the issue with concerns raised over the risk of wildfires igniting when the objects land.
The Green Party motion, introduced by Jill Perry and Helen Tucker, was rejected with 20 members opposing, two abstentions and just nine in favour.
Liberal Democrat councillor Brian Wernham said he was "completely mystified" why the motion, backed by both the National Farmers Union and the RSPCA, had not received more support.
He said: "Farmers are very worried about these because they distribute metal debris onto grazing land which animals can eat and the brush fire risk is obvious."
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, in the motion Perry said balloons, including those marketed as biodegradable, can remain in the environment for up to four years, contributing to long-term litter and environmental contamination.
She said: "National beach-clean monitoring has consistently identified an average of three balloons per 100 metres of coastline during surveys, illustrating the scale of the pollution issue.
"Sky lanterns pose serious fire risks, particularly in rural and agricultural areas, with documented incidents involving damage to crops, farm buildings, stored feed and harm to livestock."
