Petition: Stop Disposable Barbecues

UPDATE:

We've made real progress thanks to the support of local residents who have backed this campaign – but there's still more to do.

Over the past two years, Liberal Democrat councillors have worked alongside Dorset Council to write to local retailers, asking them to stop selling disposable BBQs because of the devastating fire risk they pose to our heathland, countryside and wildlife.

We're pleased that Dorset Council has continued to urge shops to suspend the sale of disposable BBQs, and we've also seen encouraging action from local retailers. Sainsbury's in Wareham and the Co-op in Corfe Mullen have both stopped selling disposable BBQs, showing that businesses are listening to local concerns and taking responsibility.

These are welcome steps in the right direction, but disposable BBQs are still available in too many places, and every summer they continue to pose a serious risk to our precious natural environment.

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MP Calls for Urgent Action on Wildfires, Fire Service Funding, and a ban on the sale of disposable BBQs

Mid Dorset and North Poole MP Vikki Slade, has called on the Government to take urgent action to tackle the growing threat of wildfires across Dorset and the UK, following two devastating fires at Upton Heath and Canford Heath this spring.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the MP described how over 70 football pitches worth of protected heathland had been lost in a single night—threatening vulnerable wildlife during breeding season and putting nearby homes at risk.

“Dorset is burning. Last week, a precious stretch of lowland habitat was ablaze in the middle of the ground-nesting bird season. Our biodiversity is at risk, our homes are at risk and our future is at risk. These are not isolated incidents; they are frighteningly normal.”

The MP praised the heroic efforts of Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue crews but warned that: “chronic underfunding is leaving fire services unable to meet rising demand. I have seen what the fire crews do - heroes running towards danger as we run away.” Vikki noted that Dorset Fire Services had been forced to remove appliances from Poole and Wareham with further threats to Wimborne and Bere Regis, “we’re asking firefighters to do more with less and that’s a recipe for disaster.”

Vikki added: “As climate change makes our landscapes hotter and drier, we are living in a perfect storm. Fires are more frequent, more intense, and harder to contain. Almost every one of these fires, from Upton Heath to Wareham Forest, was caused by human activity - a carelessly dropped cigarette, illegal campfires, disposable barbeques or worse, deliberate arson.

To many people, disposable barbeques are seen as a sign of warmer weather approaching and a way to spend more time outdoors. Yet disposable barbeques have been the spark behind countless wildfires - over 1,000 in London in just a year.

Local authorities can and do impose public space protection orders, and Dorset is consulting on one, but if petrol stations and supermarkets keep selling barbecues, people will keep buying them. Disposable barbecues not only cause fires; they get left behind on beaches, burn unsuspecting feet and create litter.

Vikki said: “We must consider a ban. We have learnt to live without plastic bags – we can live without single use barbeques too.

I know that much work has already been done to get local supermarkets to ban disposable barbeques, Asda in Canford Heath have agreed, we need more supermarkets, petrol stations and large DIY stores to follow their lead.

As we head into the Easter break, I encourage people to enjoy Dorset. It is a jewel of the UK, but please leave your barbecue at home.

“Let’s not make this a season of smoke and sirens. Let’s protect the people who protect us, and the places we love.”  

You can sign the petition to ban disposable barbeques below: