Fires and barbecues to be banned on Ilkley Moor

Ilkley Moor ban on fires and barbecues

Following the recent fire on Ilkley Moor, Bradford Council will follow other local authorities and introduce a Public Space Protection Order preventing the lighting of fires and barbecues on moorland sites within the Bradford District.

A report is to be presented to Bradford Council’s ‘Regulatory and Appeals Committee’ on Monday 20 May, requesting that approval be given to start a consultation and then introduce a Public Space Protection Order to prohibit fires and barbecues on certain sites in the Bradford District, which would include Ilkley Moor.

The consultation is required by the regulations (Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Section 59) and must last for a minimum period of 6 weeks. The consultation will be available via the Council’s Consultations web page.

The Order will last for 3 years from 2nd July 2019 to 1st July 2022 and then will be reviewed.

Its effect will be to prohibit fires, barbecues, Chinese lanterns and fireworks or using any article which causes a naked flame and which poses a risk of fire on the affected land, subject to a fixed penalty notice and a fine not exceeding £100 if they do not comply with a request to extinguish and surrender such articles. The Order will be enforced by authorised Council staff and police (in some circumstances).

The Order does not include Council owned parks and woodlands as these are already covered by byelaws and the evidence of risk and incidents (which must inform the Order) is lower on those sites than on moorland.

The geographic extent of the “restricted areas” defined in the Order is all publicly accessible moorland within the District (see plan below). This includes both Council owned and privately owned land, where people have a right of access. The landowners affected have been consulted and are supportive.

More Ilkley news