Councillor Campaigns For New Fireworks Display Licence

Monday, 15 November 2021 06:00

By Louise Hill - Local Democracy Reporter

Islanders may have to tell the council when they intend to set off fireworks — if one councillor’s campaign gets approved.

Following the festivities of bonfire night and the firework displays across the Island, Cllr Daryll Pitcher has submitted a motion to the full Isle of Wight Council meeting to ask government to give local authorities the power to license firework displays.

Cllr Pitcher said there are always complaints about fireworks and the effect they have, frightening PTSD sufferers and animals. He also said they never really go away, as there are random displays during the year.

He said:

“I am not saying people shouldn’t have fireworks, I enjoy watching them the same as the next person, but it would be nice to tell your neighbours before you set them off.”

The problem at the moment, Cllr Pitcher said, is there is no way of knowing when they are going to happen and in turn no way of mitigating the frightening effects for some.

His idea is to make the letting off of fireworks a licensable activity so through the processes already in place for local authorities, there are ways to let people know when the events would happen.

The Isle of Wight Council, however, does not have that power and is only able to license the sale of fireworks.

There are a few national regulations, Cllr Pitcher said, but they are very loose and ‘basically allow people to do whatever they want, whenever they want’.

His motion, therefore, asks the government to consider devolving those licensing powers to local authorities so it can put in place a system to alert people when there are going to be fireworks.

Cllr Pitcher will see if he can get support for his motion at the council meeting next Wednesday, November 17 at 6pm.

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Councillor Campaigns For New Fireworks Display Licence

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