PLANS for a high-altitude balloon ride in Stratford town centre are still up in the air after councillors decided to postpone a decision until they had seen the ride for themselves.

District councillors had already rejected Robin Hood Centre's plans for a £0.9 million tethered balloon ride on the recreation ground back in May over fears it would be obtrusive and could spell the demise of the ground into a theme park.

However the Avon area committee decided not to reject the Nottingham-based firm's new plans for a balloon to be based behind the Moat House Hotel until they had seen the impact an existing ride has had on an area, such as one in London.

After a lengthy debate over whether the committee could make a decision or whether it should be left to the planning committee, there were just five councillors left in the chamber after seven, knowing they could not speak or vote on the matter twice, opted to save their voices for planning and left.

Those remaining agreed that it would be impossible to make a judgement over whether the balloon, which would rise to a height of 170 metres, would cause a lack of privacy for nearby residents or would damage the views over the river, without seeing a balloon in situ.