Councillor calls for outright ban on patio heaters

Patio heaters burn gas - a fossil fuel - in the open air, producing tonnes of carbon dioxide for very little benefit. In Camden, outside our pubs and restaurants, they re mainly heating the night sky and the planes overhead.   I m pleased to note that on

Patio heaters burn gas - a fossil fuel - in the open air, producing tonnes of carbon dioxide for very little benefit. In Camden, outside our pubs and restaurants, they're mainly heating the night sky and the planes overhead.

I'm pleased to note that on the 31st January a Lib Dem MEP, Fiona Hall, presented to the full European Parliament of the 27 member states a practical Action Plan aimed at improving Europe's overall energy efficiency by over 20% by 2020, including a proposal to ban patio heaters.

It was adopted by an overwhelmingly 592 MEPs voting for, with just 26 against. The MEPs asked the European Commission to establish timetables for the withdrawal from the market of all the least energy-efficient items of equipment, appliances and other energy-using products, such as patio heaters. If their sale is banned I'm sure we'll be amazed at how quickly a new energy-efficient method of space heating will become available. Pleasingly B&Q, Wyedale and now Currys have already said they will stop stocking patio heaters.

Whilst the European Parliament is leading the way on climate change the Times reported the day after the vote that: "There was little enthusiasm for a ban at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs." How typical of this Government.

Paul Braithwaite

Lib Dem Councillor

Cantelowes ward