Swale councillors reject disposable barbecue ban

Councillor Rich Lehmann said it would "not be a proportionate response" to introduce a ban

Councillors have rejected a proposed ban on disposable barbecues in Swale.

Swale Borough Council's environment committee rejected the proposal for a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and fines for people using disposable barbeques on public land in Swale.

The committee's chairman, Rich Lehmann, said it would "not be a proportionate response" to introduce a ban.

Teynham and Lynsted councillor Lloyd Bowen proposed the ban and said it was to "try to preserve the environment".

Mr Bowen put the idea forward in December 2022 and argued that the dry summer that year had left many green spaces in Sheppey, Sittingbourne and Faversham like "tinder boxes".

'Difficult to justify'

Council bylaws from 2005 outlaw the use of anything "likely to cause a fire" on council-owned land, but do not explicitly prohibit disposable barbecues.

An environment committee report on the proposal explained: "Given the relatively low level of incidents recorded by Kent Fire and Rescue Service, it would be difficult to justify the introduction of a specific PSPO."

Mr Lehmann added the proposed ban would cost the council money and resources to enforce.

"That money can be better spent to give the best value for money for residents of Swale," Mr Lehmann said.

Mr Bowen said he did not intend to be a "killjoy" but wanted to preserve local green spaces with the ban.

A spokesperson for Swale Borough Council said members would review the report on Wednesday and it "will not be taking any action at this time".

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