Cornwall councillors are set to call for the authority to join calls for a national ban on sky lanterns.
Members of the council have tabled a motion for next week’s full council meeting to seek councillors’ support.
In 2015 the council itself was one of the first in the country to ban the use of sky lanterns on its own land and at events which require a licence from the council. But now councillors are asking the council to back a national campaign to ban the items entirely.
Sky lanterns are made out of paper and wire and contain candles which, when lit, lift the lanterns into the sky. However, once released, they cause littering of the countryside and can also pose a danger to livestock.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is leading a national campaign to ban sky lanterns in England and Wales and have had 50,000 members of the public sign a petition. It is this campaign that Cornwall councillors are asking the authority to support.
A motion is set to go to next week’s full council meeting and has cross party support – the motion is being proposed by Conservative councillor James Mustoe and seconded by Liberal Democrat group leader Edwina Hannaford. It has also been supported by councillors from the Labour, Mebyon Kernow and Independent groups at County Hall.
The recommendation that the motion is calling for the council to vote on is: “That Cornwall Council supports the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) petition calling for a national ban on the launching of sky lanterns by writing to Government, and conducts an online campaign raising awareness of the dangers their launching poses to livestock, wildlife, the countryside and marine environments.”
It adds: “The NFU has started a petition on this, and it is considered that supporting this petition, as well as writing to the Government supporting calls for a national ban, will demonstrate that Cornwall Council is still leading the way in calling for this positive change.
"It is also felt that at the same time as this, an online campaign from Cornwall Council, via its website, press releases and social media, to raise awareness of the dangers launching sky lanterns cause, will help the public make the decision to stop using them.”
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Councillors have also called on the council to maintain awareness of the issue by setting up a webpage “highlighting the dangers of launching, as well as social media posts and via the council’s regular e-newsletter”.
The motion is on the agenda to be debated at the full council meeting which will take place at New County Hall in Truro next Wednesday (Sept21).
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