Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore has used a parliamentary debate to call for a ban on the use of disposable barbeques in public places where fire risk prevails, citing the damage they can cause through fires on local spaces such as Ilkley Moor.
Ilkley Moor has been prone to repeated fires of this kind, including two fires in one weekend back in 2019. These fires spread quickly due to the dryness of the vegetation on Ilkley Moor and can reach sizes as big as 50 acres. This presents extreme danger to the plants and wildlife on the Moor, and requires mass attention from local fire services.
A ban on the use of disposable on local moorlands was introduced in 2019, but this is set to expire this year. With a consultation period on renewal currently in the works, Moore has called on the Council to ensure this ban is re-introduced as soon as possible. However, Moore is calling for further action, arguing for a ban on disposable barbeques in certain public spaces at a national level, to ensure the chances of such a devastating blaze are limited, and also tougher punishments can be in place for the perpetrators of the fires.
Action is already being undertaken regarding this, with the supermarkets Lidl and Waitrose banning the sale of disposable barbeques due to environmental and safety concerns.
Robbie Moore MP said: “Whilst I do not want people to be limited in what they do in their private property, I am afraid the safety and environmental concerns surrounding the use of disposable barbeques in public spaces like Ilkley Moor is too great.
Ilkley Moor is one of the most beautiful landscapes of its kind, yet it has been shown to be too vulnerable to huge fires caused by small disposable barbeques. Not only is this extremely dangerous for those who use the Moor, but it can cause fatal damage for the vegetation and wildlife on the Moor.
We have rightly had restrictions in place for the use of disposable barbeques on Ilkley Moor since 2019, but these laws are set to expire. I urge the local authority to reintroduce such a ban on Ilkley Moor, but I also believe the government could go further in implementing a national ban in such public places. Raising this issue in a debate in Westminster, I welcomed the Ministers response that this issue will be looked at and that the government are exploring the options of such a ban.”
