Hackney Greens urge council to ban ‘dangerous’ sky lanterns

A sky lantern. Image: Wikicommons

Sky lanterns could be banned from being released in parks and other council-owned land.

Green councillor Zoë Garbett called on the council to outlaw the lanterns because of their environmental impact.

She said: “Sky lanterns are a danger to animals, a fire risk, an aviation hazard and a litter nuisance.

“When ingested, sharp parts can cause internal bleeding in animals. Animals can become entangled in fallen lantern frames and suffer from injury or stress trying to free themselves, and sometimes starve to death from being trapped.”

A sky lantern was blamed for a huge fire that destroyed 100,000 tonnes of plastic at a factory in the West Midlands. It sent an enormous smoke plume into the atmosphere and caused £6m worth of damage. Two hundred firefighters tackled the blaze, which sparked the National Fire Chiefs council to call for an urgent review of the lanterns’ use.

Sky lanterns are outlawed in some other European countries and there is a ban in Wales.

The Green party motion also asks Hackney Council to run a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks after some were set off near a crowd at Stratford bus station on Halloween.

In 2016, a two-year-old was burnt on the foot when fireworks were thrown around Clarence Place in Clapton in what police described as “idiotic” behaviour.

Cllr Garbett said fireworks cause “fear and distress” for many animals and some pets run away.

The loud and sudden noise can also trigger post traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adults.

Garbett said it can be difficult for police to pinpoint where fireworks are set off because the noise is so short.

Green councillors want Hackney to limit licences for retailers to sell fireworks between 15 October and 10 November, from 26-31 December, three days before Diwali and three days before Chinese New Year.

They also want the council to encourage selling “quieter” fireworks at less than 70 decibels of noise for use at private and council-run displays.

Cllr Garbett suggested “a public campaign of Rocket O‘Clock having people fire them at the same time so the impact is shorter. It could even be a campaign on sharing food rather than sharing fireworks.”

Hackney Council cited costs for scrapping this year’s display at Clissold Park.

Tower Hamlets Council said it did not want to spend around £285,000 on fireworks at Victoria Park for the same reason.

The Mayor of London is hosting New Year’s Eve fireworks with £15 tickets.