Islanders may have to inform the Isle of Wight Council that they wish to set off fireworks — if a local councillor’s campaign gets approved.
Following the festivities of bonfire night and the firework displays across the Island, Councillor Daryll Pitcher has submitted a motion to the full Isle of Wight Council meeting to ask the 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 17th November 18:00.
that would be good to see happen, we have a dog that just cowers at the fisrt bang and doesnt settle for at least 2 hours after the last one goes. not to mention those that suffer with the effects of loud bangs etc …please council give this the right move forward
I think random firework displays are a very unsociable activity.
They seriously upset both pets and are devastating for wild animals, and also upsetting for neighbours.
There is also the issue of carbon emissions from fireworks. This is now a major factor to consider in the future.
The time is right to limit and licence them .
The Isle of Wight can lead on this.
I hope the council support this.
Carbon emisions from fireworks? that would be about ten seconds of what is hosed out of one jet airliner for every firework let off in a year…
Not strictly fair . Bonfires and fireworks and their unintended consequent fire damage worldwide are a major pollutant,
Couple this with the manufacturing process and transportation of product across the world ,and the damage to the ozone layer is significant.
Airliners are a necessity , fireworks not so. Q.E.D.
Tho I totally disagree with this a ban etc or licencing isnt the answer perhaps we should be considering silent fireworks they are around over the years the bangs have got louder is this really necessary perhaps lowering the pitch of the stretches & the bangs would be a better solution to the problem. quieter fireworks happier people all round the bangs dont need to be so loud. of course the council will love the idea of licencing it means more money in their already bulging pockets
What a load of party poopers.
Great idea. Lets face it it is hardly entertainment unless you have one brain cell.
Only the pathetic, selfish humans would disagree with this. You idiots have no idea what carnage this does to all innocent animals. Shame on you but you haven’t got the intellect to understand.
Great idea much needed!
In these times of terrorists how can the general public purchase potentially dangerous explosives.
Hope this is made law!
Good idea, but you can bet that there will be those that will acquire them and let them off as and when they want to.
Meanwhile no-one says anything about loud car exhausts which are a nuisance every night.
I agree but already banned. Just need the police to stop them. In Ryde seemed to have been an influx of small bikes with loud exhausts. Really load. Needs to be dealt with.
Perhaps we can do the same with thunder storms.
Unfortunately climate change is likely to increase the occurrence of thunderstorms.
If you really want to reduce unpleasant noise, how about de-barking Boris?
When you can’t act responsible you get your toys taken away. And with the state of the environment I would be happy if bonfire night was stopped altogether. It is after all celebrating a win for government over the people who tried to stop their corruption.
We should put all the fireworks under the ‘make newport a city’ plan and set them off.
I am no party pooper, but I think the sale of domestic (home use) fireworks should have been stopped years ago.
Organised displays can be far better controlled, and the overall entertainment experience is much better.
We had fireworks at home when I was young, but I think there was much less of the modern firework night going on for a week or more, and, I’m sorry, but the mentality/behaviour of some people these days does make it questionable as to these explosives, and that is what they are, being readily available.
Ban them. Criminal waste of money.
100 per cent agree , our dog is terrified, the wildlife must suffer as well these fireworks are awful .
Yes I am a kill joy Ban them altogether…..
“Ninety-nine percent of the backyard consumer fireworks come directly from China,” said Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association. “And about 70 percent of the professional display fireworks are manufactured in China.”
Why are we still buying stuff from China?
After what China has given the world recently – why are we buying stuff we can live without from China??
Madness. Maybe time to stop and think where stuff we buy is manufactured and go back to the days of “Made in Great Britain” where we can.
Ban the full stop! You need a licence and training to own a fire arm what is the difference. Each firework burn costs the nhs £20,000,000 per year. So take away from people that have no idea what they are playing with save the nhs, people with neurological disorders, and our animals. Stop home kits full stop!