Thursday June 19th 2025
Edinburgh Council Offices
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Council officers should get the power to restrict bonfires and barbecues, and ban them on a case-by-case basis if necessary, according to a councillor.
SNP councillor Kate Campbell said they can cause risk to public health and safety, especially along Portobello Beach, which is in her ward.
She has put forward a motion to the next full Edinburgh Council meeting asking council officers to explore developing new powers for council staff to better regulate and control barbecues and bonfires.
Cllr Campbell said: “I’ve had a lot of complaints from residents particularly about what they consider to be toxic smoke and the proximity to nearby homes.
“I’d been in touch with officers to ask what powers we have to manage bonfires and was told we basically don’t have any.
“Adding rules on bonfires and barbecues could make such a big difference to the quality of our environment while reducing the risk of wildfires so I really hope council agrees with me and the motion passes.
“In my view this change to the park rules is badly needed as it would give council officers the power to take enforcement action where they consider there is a health and safety risk which they just don’t seem to have at the moment.
“Not doing it now would be a missed opportunity.”
She said that people along Portobello Beach were adding varnished wood and other substances to bonfires, which caused the emission of toxic fumes.
Cllr Campbell wants officers to get powers to ask that bonfires and barbecues that are causing a nuisance or a health and safety risk be extinguished.
She cited situations where a large number of bonfires and barbecues were running at once, filling the air with smoke.
Cllr Campbell was also disappointed at the lack of inclusion of a section on bonfires and barbecues in the city’s park management plan consultation.
She said: “When I saw that we were reviewing the park rules it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give ourselves some controls and I requested that a section on bonfires be included in the consultation.
“Sadly it wasn’t, which means residents didn’t have the opportunity to feed in their views.”
Cllr Campbell’s motion will be discussed at the next full Edinburgh Council meeting, set to take place on Thursday, 19 June, which you can view here.
Tweet Share on Facebook
