High Peak MP launches petition to ban local sale of disposable barbecues

High Peak MP Jon Pearce has launched a petition calling to ban the sale of disposable barbecues across the High Peak.

The petition comes just weeks after the High Peak Borough Council approved a Public Spaces Protection Order that banned fires, barbecues, fireworks and sky lanterns at 'high-risk' locations across the High Peak.

The decision came after a devastating fire tore through the Goyt Valley in early May, destroying over 800 acres of moorland and woodland. 

The Peak District is among the UK's most-visited national parks. In recent years, disposable barbecues have been directly linked to a number of serious wildfires in the area, putting wildlife, air quality, and emergency service crews at risk.

Disposable barbecues remain widely available for sale in shops across the High Peak, despite warnings from fire crews, landowners and conservationists that the moorland is particularly vulnerable to catching fire. 

Speaking on his petition, Jon Pearce said: “Like many local families, I spend time walking on the moors with my children, and I want them to grow up loving and respecting the landscape we’re lucky to have on our doorstep."

“But far too often, we see the careless use of disposable barbecues leaving behind burnt grass, scorched earth, or worse — wildfires that destroy everything in their path.”

Jon’s petition calls on national retailers and local shops to voluntarily remove disposable BBQs from sale, while also urging the Government to introduce national legislation supporting a ban in areas of high wildfire risk. 

“We need common sense measures to protect our countryside. There is simply no safe place to use a disposable BBQ on moorland, and there’s no reason they should still be on sale in areas like ours,” he said.

“This is not about spoiling people’s fun — it’s about preventing lasting damage to the places we all value.”

The petition can be signed online at: https://www.jon4highpeak.com/petition-stop-selling-disposable-bbqs/, or via the following QR code.