Lytham St Annes faces the ban Articles / what's happening near you Date: Apr 21, 2006 - 12:03 PM Fylde Borough Council have stunned local flyers by banning the use of 2 and 4 line kites on it's beaches. The move comes after a dog-walker became tangled in kite lines. Lytham has been no stranger to kiting troubles after the tragic death of Carol Cruz who died after being hit by a landyacht on the beach. To register your opposition to the ban, please send an email to lift.theban@ntlworld.com - these emails will be presented to the council in a forthcoming meeting. Updates will be posted as they become available at www.lifttheban.2ya.com Click more to read press releases from the council and the BKSA and articles from the local press. Date:12/04/06 Ref: PR/158/06 Press Release Safety fears lead to Power Kite ban Power Kites are to be banned from Fylde beaches, foreshores and public open spaces to ensure the safety of visitors and residents. The ban follows a recent incident involving a Power Kite line becoming tangled around a pedestrian. In light of this incident, the use of Traction Kites, Power Kites, Sports Kites, Stunt Kites, Flying Lines, or any similar kite is not allowed on any beach, foreshore or public open space within the Borough of Fylde. However, the use of single line kites will not be affected. The existing ban on the use of all wind powered vehicles such as Sand Yachts, Kite Buggies and Parakarts, is still in force. Susan Fazackerley, Cabinet Member for Risk Management and Health and Safety, said: “We don’t want to be over bureaucraticand spoil a day out in Fylde. But we are acutely aware of the potential for tragic accidents on the beaches of the borough. “This ban is in response to a recent incident and following an assessment of the risks involved, we feel that this is an appropriate measure to ensure the health and safety of everybody on the beaches. We have targeted the specific kites that could cause serious injury. The use of single line kites, popular with children, is still allowed in the borough.” Cllr Fazackerley added: “The safety of residents and visitors is paramount. That’s why we will look at more detailed risk assessments to address the longer-term safety issues on beaches and foreshores of Fylde.” Notes to Editors For more information about this Press Release, please call Michael Rogers, Communications Officer, on 01253 658499, or email michaelr@fylde.gov.uk BKFA Press Release, issued 20/4/06 Fylde Borough Council ban Kite Flying for All! It is always disappointing to hear of councils apparently “going over the top” to address a situation, but it would appear that Fylde Borough Council have taken that step that will create more torment than necessary over an accidental situation on their beaches. The alleged incident on the beach is reported to involve a downed kite, a pedestrian near by, and a gusty wind! We all agree that any situation where the possibilities of potentially serious incident should be avoided, and the incident of a kite, lifted by the wind on its own, and wrapping its lines around a person is not one anyone would like to have, but the response from the council does leave all somewhat exasperated. We at the British Kite Flying Association (BKFA) recognize the need for a measured response to a potentially serious incident, but also there is a need to take into account the specifics of the situation that occurred. The person whose kite was involved was distressed by the situation, and is reported as acting promptly, with others there, to resolve the situation with no injury sustained by the pedestrian. The decision to ban all forms of kite flying, with the exception of simple single line kites (a source of numerous beach incidents that go unreported) will affect all that use the boroughs amenities and all of their open spaces, To often the local children want to progress from the simple kite into two line kites, but now have nowhere to fly; and who is going to reimburse the trade outlets in the area that have just purchased the stock of two and four line kites for the coming summer? With the availability of stunt and power kites from cheap sources, such as Argos and Tesco, with little or no safety instructions or information on flying procedures, incidents of this nature will be happening throughout the country! The BKFA are encouraging manufacturers and retailers to consider ‘codes of conduct’ to be issued with these kites to help alleviate such issues. The BKFA themselves are assembling their own code with the support of all the member clubs to cover such eventualities, as most clubs have their own variation. This we hope will be adopted by the manufacturers and retailers. Serious kite flyers are only too aware of the issues, they are dealing with them at all times when flying, from dogs chasing and destroying kites, the issues of horse riders and their safety, ensuring sufficient room and of cause people distracting the pilots. The council themselves have been approached in the past over allowing the flyers a separate area for their sport, but to no avail. To this aim there are a number of clubs and organizations already in place to advise and assist in this issue, just enter “kite flying” into a computer to search and you will find over 750,000 sites dedicated to the sport in the UK, and about 5 million world wide! The national organization of the BKFA has the aim to encourage safe kite flying and to progress the sport for all throughout the country, what ever aspect of the sport you wish to enter. So it is disappointing that the council have acted unilaterally in the first instance with a ban of virtually all kite flying on all public sites within the borough, at 4pm on the eve of Easter, a national holiday when all the local people will be out, wanting to enjoy themselves, encouraging their children into the fresh air. This does not affect just the one aspect of the sport that the incident involved, Kite Surfing, but affects those who wish to enjoy this form of entertainment. It has been highlighted in the press that this is already causing distress to one local competitor in his training for national and international events this year. The only aspect the council are prepared to consider acceptable is simple single line child kites, a form that has the same safety issues as the kite involved! We at the BKFA will be discussing the issues and highlight that all the organizations involved have taken safety measures over their sport, the BKFA have a full set of Risk Assessments in place for all clubs and individuals to use on the web site (www.bkfa.org.uk) assembled by experts in risk assessment, from information across people involved in all aspects of the sport, accumulating over 400 years of experience. The BKFA, through its membership to the Royal Aeronautical Club, are in a position to help advise the government over any issues in Airsports. We are delighted be in a position to help resolve the situation with our counterparts in power kiteing (PKSF) and kite surfing (BKSA) and the local South Shore Boardriders Club. Peter Dawson, BKFA. Blackpool Citizen - Let's Not Go Fly A Kite in Fylde An out-of-the-blue ban on kites in Fylde is causing uproar among kite surfers and local suppliers. Fylde Borough Council stunned kite lovers by suddenly banning all kites, except single line kites popular with children', from its beaches, foreshores and public open spaces. The council defended the ban as an appropriate health and safety measure' after a woman walker recently became tangled in kite lines on St Annes beach. A council spokesman said: "In light of this incident, the use of traction kites, power kites, sports kites, stunt kites, flying lines, or any similar kite is not allowed on any beach, foreshore or public open space within the borough of Fylde. "However, the use of single line kites will not be affected. The existing ban on the use of all wind powered vehicles such as sand yachts, kite buggies and parakarts, is still in force." Astonished kite surfer, Phil Rawcliffe, of South Shore Kite Boarders Club, said: "I'm really shocked the council hasn't even contacted us for our opinion. I'm the British Kite Surfing Association's (BKSA) North West officer, the council know me. I thought we had a good relationship with them. They've not even rung us." He said club members fully support all safety measures on the beach, such as safe kite launching from signed areas, but that an outright ban was a knee jerk reaction because of the history of the sand yachting accident'. The horrific death of 38-year-old Carol Cruz, struck by a sand yacht during a competition on St Annes beach in 2002, prompted an immediate council ban on sand yachting. But Mr Rawcliffe said: "Since we set up the kite boarders' club at Blackpool we have had risk assessments, good insurance. We have done everything by the book. "Also, lots of cafes and bed and breakfasts in the area are going to suffer. It's one of the top places in the UK for kite surfing. We had the finals of the BKSA here in September, and that brought hundreds and hundreds of people into the area." And he warned that local specialist kite shops and suppliers would suffer. Steve Alexander, co-owner of Poulton's H20 Sport and Marine, said he was unaware of the ban. "We start kite training just after Easter, because we have got a kite school with a proper teacher. The ban will affect us, definitely," he said. "Why do the council have the right to do that straight away to make a decision that affects a lot of people? For a lot of people it's their regular hobby, and these people will have spent a lot of money on equipment." But Susan Fazackerley, Fylde's cabinet member for risk management and health and safety, argued: "We don't want to be over bureaucratic and spoil a day out in Fylde. But we are acutely aware of the potential for tragic accidents on the beaches of the borough. "Following an assessment of the risks involved, we feel that this is an appropriate measure to ensure the health and safety of everybody on the beaches. "We have targeted the specific kites that could cause serious injury. The safety of residents and visitors is paramount." nmasters@blackpoolcitizen.co.uk Blackpool Gazette - Outrage over Fylde kite ban TOWN hall bureaucrats have banned kite flying in Fylde. And one angry enthusiast today branded the blanket ban a knee-jerk reaction. The ban applies to large power kites the large "sails" which enthusiasts use to drag themselves down the beach or launch into the air to fly. The blanket ban which covers all public open spaces including parks and playing fields as well as beaches has been enforced after a female dog walker became entangled in the lines of one kite and dragged to the ground. But John Kynaston of Clifton Drive, St Annes today appealed for a special area to be set up away from the public. Mr Kynaston plans to compete in European kite flying competitions this year and reckons the temporary ban could harm his chances. He said: "St Annes beach is one of the 10 best beaches to fly in Europe. "There are thousands of people on internet sites discussing this ban. "The beach is a massive area and kite boarding has already been banned. "In Southport they have an area of the beach where they allow people to fly so long as they have the right insurance and are a member of the British Kite Association. Why can't they do that in Fylde?" Kite boarding involves using the large sails in conjunction with a wheeled board on the beach, with equipment costing up to £1,000. It has been banned on St Annes beach since the tragic death of Carole Cruz who was mown down by a sand yacht on the beach in August 2002 in front of her two children.She later died in hospital. The harness-style kites have also been banned from use in the water. Keen kite surfer Phil Rawcliffe, 40, of South Shore Kite Boarders Club, said: "The thing that has really disappointed us has been the lack of communication. "We go out of our way to make sure we have the most stringent safety procedures in place. But the council have not even bothered to contact us about the ban. "To do this at 4pm on the day before a Bank Holiday weekend when everybody is heading off for the weekend is ludicrous. There has been uproar about it. "One man from the Midlands rang to say he had cancelled a trip up with his family of four. That sort of money is going to be lost to the economy for as long as this ban is in place." A spokesman from Fylde Council said: "The use of traction kites, power kites, sports kites, stunt kites, flying lines, or any similar kite is not allowed on any beach, foreshore or public open space within the borough of Fylde. "However, the use of single line kites will not be affected. The existing ban on the use of all wind-powered vehicles such as sand yachts, kite buggies and parakarts, is still in force." paul.fielding@blackpoolgazette.co.uk 14 April 2006 This article comes from .:can't:kite:for:shite:. http://www.cantkite.9thcircle.co.uk/postnuke/ The URL for this story is: http://www.cantkite.9thcircle.co.uk/postnuke/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=10