North Tyneside Council is seeking views on a new policy which, if adopted, would restrict certain types of activities and events on its land.
The policy aims to discourage activities which may be harmful to wildlife and the environment, cause a nuisance to residents and visitors or be considered anti-social.
It follows an increase in enquiries to use land owned, controlled, or managed by the local authority as well as a rise in complaints about inappropriate activities in public open spaces.
These activities have included the use of drones at St Mary’s Lighthouse Nature Reserve, which Natural England has classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI).
The new policy would ban drones from Sites of Special Scientific Interest unless authorised by Natural England and North Tyneside Council.
Other activities that the Council is proposing to prohibit include balloon and sky lantern releases, which can be harmful to the environment and pose a fire risk.
However, the Council recognises that such releases are often carried out as acts of memorial so instead would encourage more sustainable and eco-friendly acts of memorial such as jam jar lights, flying kites, or organising memory walks.
Consultation on the draft policy, “Policy of Prohibited Activities on Land Owned, Controlled or Managed by North Tyneside Council” runs until Sunday, September 25.
View the draft policy and have your say here.
Alternatively, it is available at the Customer First Centres at Whitley Bay, Wallsend, North Shields, and Whitley Bay.
