A COUNCIL is pushing forward with plans to stop people launching sky lanterns and helium balloons on its land.

Bridport Town Council wants to prevent people “littering the sky” with the items, with the campaign backed nationally by organisations including the Marine Conservation Society.

Cllr Julian Jones is calling for the authority to advise any group organising an event on land owned by the town council that releasing the items will not be permitted.

Speaking at last week’s environment and social wellbeing committee, Cllr Jones said: “The Green Party is putting this forward in quite a few places. 

“In Bridport we have the opportunity to try and do this.

“It would be valuable for the town council itself to say to organisations who use its land that they cannot do this but it’s especially important to let the public know how harmful it is. 

“I think the desire to release sky lanterns and helium balloons would evaporate. 

“We are extremely concerned about littering the sky and littering the land with this material and causing the possibility of slow, agonising death to animals. If you had a balloon that popped before you release it, you could be fined for littering, so two minutes after releasing it, you would be littering. It should be viewed as the same effect as littering in the street.”

Committee chairman, Cllr Dave Rickard said: “I’m quite happy to push this forward. Sky lanterns are a real issue and fire risk in especially rural areas.”

Mayor of Bridport, Cllr Ros Kayes added that for some people, releasing sky lanterns and balloons is often regarded as “out of sight, out of mind”.

The committee agreed to move forward with the proposals, subject to approval from the full council. Members who also sit of West Dorset District Council will be asked to take the campaign up with that authority. Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service issued a safety warning about sky lanterns after a blaze at a nature reserve was caused by a lantern landing on gorse.

Area Manager Craig Baker said: “With Chinese lanterns, you’re basically throwing a naked flame into the sky with no control over the direction it will take or where it will land.”