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Lewes and Eastbourne
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Issue - meetings

Chinese/sky lanterns and balloons

Meeting: 11/02/2019 - Lewes District Council Cabinet (Item 67)

67 Consideration of options to ban the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Report of Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services

Lead Cabinet member: Councillor Isabelle Linington

Additional documents:

Decision:

(Non-key decision)

 

(1) That Cabinet grants the Director of Service Delivery delegated power to introduce a new condition into the Council’s event hire licences, banning the release of lighted sky lanterns and the release of helium filled balloons.

 

(2) That the Director of Service Delivery monitors the level of complaints relating to the use of sky lanterns and helium balloons in the Lewes District and, if necessary, reports back to Cabinet in six months’ time or at such other future date as might be warranted having regard to the level of complaints received, with a recommendation for any further or alternative regulatory measures that may be required.

 

(3) That the Council utilise its Customer Communications and Engagement team to communicate with Town and Parish Councils and external organisations, including landowning country Estates, through the Council’s website, District News and other means to consider their own position on the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons.

Minutes:

The Cabinet considered the report of the Assistant Director for Legal and Democratic Services on potentially banning the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons from public land in the Lewes District. This followed an urgent item that was raised at the Cabinet meeting on 5 December 2018 by Councillor Osborne.

 

Following comments from visiting member, Councillor Gardiner, Cabinet agreed to amend resolution two and this was detailed below.

 

Following discussion, it was agreed to add an additional resolution to utilise the Customer Communications and Engagement team to communicate with Town and Parish Councils and external organisations to consider their own position on the topic.

 

Resolved (Non-key decision)

 

(1) That Cabinet grants the Director of Service Delivery delegated power to introduce a new condition into the Council’s event hire licences, banning the release of lighted sky lanterns and the release of helium filled balloons.

 

(2) That the Director of Service Delivery monitors the level of complaints relating to the use of sky lanterns and helium balloons in the Lewes District and, if necessary, reports back to Cabinet in six months’ time or at such other future date as might be warranted having regard to the level of complaints received, with a recommendation for any further or alternative regulatory measures that may be required.

 

(3) That the Council utilise its Customer Communications and Engagement team to communicate with Town and Parish Councils and external organisations, including landowning country Estates, through the Council’s website, District News and other means to consider their own position on the release of sky lanterns and helium balloons.

 

Reason for decisions:

 

To introduce a reasonable and proportionate measure to prevent the nuisance associated with the release of sky lanterns and/or helium balloons from public land in the Council’s area.