EXCLUSIVEJobsworth councils accused of penny-pinching after fireworks displays across Britain axed - is YOUR local bonfire night at risk?
Thousands of families across Britain looking forward to celebrating Bonfire Night will miss out tonight after fireworks events were cancelled across the country.
Thousands of families across Britain looking forward to celebrating Bonfire Night will miss out tonight after fireworks events were cancelled across the country.
Dozens of public displays have been axed because of issues such as environmental concerns, health and safety fears, escalating costs and councils refusing funding.
Other events are off due to a lack of sponsorship, flooding, licensing problems, normal sites being unavailable - and even fears horses in nearby fields could die.
The TaxPayers Alliance slammed the penny-pinching, puritanical nature of many local councils who refused to fund events, claiming they are always able to scrabble together cash to fund a fashionable pet project or a boost in top brass salaries.
But the Local Government Association said councils were facing significant financial pressures and have to make difficult decisions over what they can and cant fund.
At least five major displays in London which have previously drawn thousands of visitors are not taking place this year - with one of the biggest at Victoria Park in Tower Hamlets, East London, now having been cancelled every year since 2019.
The display was axed in previous years due to the pandemic and then council budget cuts – and was one of Londons last fireworks events that was still free.
Tower Hamlets Council has not yet given a reason for calling off this years event, only saying there were no plans for a fireworks display in Victoria Park or any of our parks this year.
In South London, the Round Table Carshalton Fireworks charity display has taken place in Carshalton Park every year since the 1950s except for 2020 due to the pandemic.
But this year, it was cancelled in August by the Round Table due to what the group claimed was insufficient support from our local council in navigating the necessary paperwork - along with a decline in the groups numbers and rising costs of running the event.
Sutton Council said it was sorry to hear the news about the cancellation, adding: We regret that no one from the Round Table has been in touch to discuss it further.
In South East London, the Blackheath Fireworks were cancelled again this year after Lewisham Council said it could not spend money for just one night.
The fireworks were first cancelled in 2019 due to a lack of funding, before the council approved an event in 2020 which was then cancelled due to the pandemic.
Since 2021, the event has been cancelled every year – with Lewisham Council saying this year: During a cost-of-living crisis, we cannot justify spending money on community fireworks for just one night over vital services needed throughout the year including adult social care and childrens services.
Two displays have also been axed in West London – including one at Chiswick Business Park, a popular ticketed event which was also cancelled last year but only at the last minute due to weather conditions.
This year, bosses confirmed on October 9 that there would be no display, saying they considered a multitude of factors when coming to this difficult decision including the wider park impact, the unpredictability of the weather, impact on wildlife, the local community and sustainability of these types of events.
They continued: Many fireworks contain oxidisers known as perchlorates which can dissolve in water, contaminating rivers, lakes and drinking water, fireworks also propel a cocktail of chemicals and metallic compounds such as barium and aluminium into the atmosphere, many of which can negatively impact people, air quality and the environment.
Elsewhere in West London, the nearby Ravenscourt Park fireworks show was replaced last year with an environmentally-friendly 15-minute Light-Laser-Sound Extravaganza called the Fawkes Festival.
However this display, and a sister event in Bishops Park in Fulham, were both cancelled for 2024 – having also been scrapped by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in 2022 due to environmental concerns.
Away from London, one of the most unusual cancellations this year was in Essex due to fears that horses could die.
Colchester Rugby Club axed the event after the Redwings Horse Sanctuary warned the noise from fireworks could spook horses in nearby fields, putting them at risk of injury or death.
The sanctuary asked the organisers to use silent fireworks instead, but the club decided to cancel the event completely - blaming unreasonable pressure from the local equine community.
In South East London, the Blackheath Fireworks were cancelled again this year after Lewisham Council said it could not spend money for just one night. The display in 2018 is pictured
Another display at Humberdale Farm in Swanland, East Yorkshire, was cancelled due to safety concerns – with organisers Hull Wyke Round Table saying that attendee numbers exploded after the pandemic.
They added: We thought something could easily go wrong here and it wasnt worth the risk.
The group of volunteers said a smaller ticketed event may return in future. The pay-on-the-gate display had been running for 35 years and attracted up to 5,000 people at its height.
And two displays in Hertfordshire were cancelled within a few weeks – with Chipperfields annual event axed after plans to bring it back this year for the first time since 2019.
This came just weeks after neighbouring Kings Langley also cancelled its event, with the parish council saying a big reason was the withdrawal of a major sponsor.
In Wiltshire, organisers of a planned display at a hotel in the village of High Post near Salisbury cited an unexpected licensing complication for having to cancel their show.
And a November fireworks display in the gardens of Sherborne Castle in Dorset was cancelled in September, with the organisers saying it was due to ever-increasing costs to stage this event.
The event took place last year but was also axed in 2022 because of increased costs.
In Manchester, the city council said no council-run Bonfire Night events would take place its parks for another year – with the previously-popular event at Heaton Park also not returning, having last taken place in 2019.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, the councils executive member for vibrant neighbourhoods, said: We wont be holding bonfires/fireworks events in November as we have reprioritised our funding to support and enhance the delivery of a wide range of free, community focused activities in parks across the city.
Over in Warwickshire, organisers of Bedworths annual charity bonfire and fireworks event said it was cancelled because it cannot be held at its normal location.
This is due to the construction of a new physical activity hub at the Miners Welfare Park, which will replace the old Bedworth Leisure Centre – and no other suitable location could be found.
A number of displays in Kent have also been axed – including a popular event at 17th century countryside pub the Farriers Arms in Mersham near Ashford.
It was hoped that hundreds of guests would attend, but the pubs bosses said: With immensely rising costs, and a turbulent financial year, we sadly are unable to put this event on.
In Gravesham, the towns annual fireworks display was cancelled after organisers failed to find a new sponsor – after its most recent deal with Swale Heating ended in 2022.
In Scotland, Bonfire Night celebrations at Glasgow Green were cancelled – having last taken place in 2019. A file photo of the event is pictured
A fireworks event in Long Melford, Suffolk, was also cancelled – with organisers Project Seven saying that it was with deep regret it had to axe the Big Night Out show due to financial pressures and other demands.
Elsewhere in Suffolk, the organisers of a display in Rendlesham, near Woodbridge, said they understood the disappointment felt by the community after it was cancelled two days before it was due to take place for health and safety reasons.
A spokesman for Rendlesham Parish Council said: The decision was made after receiving professional advice when it became apparent, that it was not possible to adequately meet the requirements of health and safety ensuring the full safety of the public and those attending the event.
In the event of an emergency or accident the parish council would not have been insured, and liability would rest on individuals involved in staging the event and parish councillors.
And Nottinghams biggest free firework display at Forest Recreation Ground – which used to attract 40,000 people - is not taking place for the fifth successive year.
Nottingham City Council, which previously co-funded the event, said the rising cost of the display and financial pressures it faced meant it would not be viable.
Chesterfield Borough Council also scrapped its fireworks display as part of a savings plan amid a forecast £4million budget deficit for the 2024/25 financial year.
Councillor Kate Sarvent, cabinet member for town centres and visitor economy, said the Stand Road Park Fireworks Display at Whittington Moor was axed earlier this year.
She added: This was one of several difficult decisions that was taken to deliver a balanced budget and ensure we could protect the essential services that the most vulnerable people in our communities rely on.
In the Wirral, Hoylake Sailing Club said it decided to axe a display because Wirral Council and Natural England had imposed unworkable restrictions at the Dee Estuary beauty spot.
The council said it was disappointed by the cancellation, but denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, a burst water main in the Bloxwich area of Walsall in the West Midlands caused a flood at a playing fields which saw tonights fireworks display axed.
A November fireworks display in the gardens of Sherborne Castle in Dorset was cancelled in September, with the organisers saying it was due to ever-increasing costs to stage this event
A Walsall Council spokesman said: Unfortunately, due to a burst water main on Stafford Road in Bloxwich, tomorrow nights fireworks event at King George V Playing Fields has had to be cancelled.
In Scotland, Bonfire Night celebrations at Glasgow Green were cancelled – having last taken place in 2019.
Organisers Glasgow Life said the event would not take place this year, with the approach being more environmentally friendly and causing less disruption to local residents.
Elsewhere, a 20-minute-long display at John Browns Park in Clydebank was axed after the event didnt obtain a license.
West Dunbartonshire Council contacted the company to inform them that they required a license following a number of complaints – and this was submitted by organisers.
But the council said the application was not submitted with enough time for it to be processed, and the display therefore had to be cancelled.
Speaking about some councils refusing to fund displays, Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers Alliance, told MailOnline: Taxpayers will be appalled by the penny-pinching, puritanical nature of many local councils.
Local authorities are always able to scrabble together cash to fund a fashionable pet project or a boost in top brass salaries, yet many cant even spare a few quid for an important cultural event.
Town halls should reconsider their priorities and ensure they actually align with the residents they are supposed to serve.
But a Local Government Association spokesman told MailOnline today: Councils continue to face significant financial pressures and have to make difficult decisions over what they can and cant fund.
Councils understand the importance of shared experiences in bringing a community together, which is why many are seeking community and private sponsorships to enable these events to go ahead.
Has YOUR local display been cancelled? Please email: tips@dailymail.com
