Glasgow fireworks ban delayed after council error

A fireworks ban planned for part of Glasgow on Bonfire Night this year has been delayed after the council missed a legal deadline.

The Firework Control Zone (FCZ) spanned Pollokshields - an area that has faced the most serious firework-related anti-social behaviour, according to the council.

It was meant to take effect from 1 to 10 November covering both public and private spaces, such as gardens. Anyone setting off a private firework during this period would have been committing a criminal offence.

However, the council published a legal notice of the control zone too late for the ban to take place over Bonfire Night.

The notification had to be issued 60 days before the FCZ was due to come into force.

But the council only gave notice on 9 September meaning it would not be in place on 5 November.

A council spokesman said: “We are very sorry that the firework control zone for Pollokshields cannot go ahead as we had hoped for this year’s Bonfire Night.

“The legal notice needed to create the zone was not issued in enough time to ensure it can come into effect as planned for between 1 November and 10 November.

“Unfortunately this means the zone will not be legally enforceable during this time and implementation of the zone will now be deferred until next year."

The spokesman added: “We have written directly to the members of the Pollokshields community who applied to have a firework control zone for their area and apologised for the disappointment this development will cause.

“We are working with our partners in the emergency services to address the community safety concerns that have been expressed about Bonfire Night in Pollokshields and other parts of the city.”

The Scottish government gave councils new powers to designate FCZs in 2022 following a major riot in Dundee. The rules are enforced by Police Scotland.

Last month Edinburgh became the first Scottish local authority to approve FCZs in Niddrie, Balerno, Seafield and Calton Hill in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour and reduce the impact on animals and vulnerable people.

The Niddrie area saw what police described as "unprecedented levels of violence" last year, with a group of 50 youths throwing fireworks and petrol bombs at riot police.

Glasgow has also experienced problems as recently as last November, when 20 youths fought and threw fireworks at one another in the Quarrywood Avenue area of Barmulloch.

People also filmed fireworks being set off on Leven Street, Pollokshields, near houses and cars.

Nineteen applications for FCZs in Glasgow were reviewed by a panel of experts from emergency services following public consultation on the problem.

Four applications related to areas of Pollokshields were received and combined as one entry.

It was decided that the area met the criteria for restrictions to be imposed and Glasgow become the second council in Scotland to approve the ban in one area of the city over the Guy Fawkes period.

A map from the council shows the boundary line of the FCZ to include part of Maxwell Drive and St Andrew's Road, Darnley Street and Darnley Road, looping onto Titwood Road and Dumbreck Road near Pollok Country Park.

A public consultation on the possible creation of a citywide FCZ in Glasgow will conclude on 20 October.