Labour Cancelled the Firework Display

Wednesday 18th October 2006

Warrington Borough Council Leader Ian Marks claimed today that:

"the decision to scrap firework displays at Birchwood, Padgate and Woolston was taken by the former Labour administration, before control of the council changed."

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/

If this is true, (of course it was) then I would expect that the new administration would be looking to re-build some community goodwill, and look towards re-instating these community events for 2007. It really is a bit of a no brainer really, take some control of the Parks and Landscape department and move it back into a state of public accountability, try asking the community what they would like.

I can imagine that those area affected will have many more private firework displays than in past years, with all the dangers and noise associated with them. Show some political cojones and re-instate the bonfires, take the responsibility away from those like David Stamp who appears to have succeeded in cancelling these events..

As I stated above ASK the communities involved.

Bonfire and Carnival Photos needed

Tuesday 10th October 2006

The enforced cancellation of the Community Bonfire and now the Firework display, means that part of Birchwood heritage has been lost. At least while David Stamp is head of Parks and Landscapes and there is a lack of political backbone to over-ride such descisions by unaccountable officers of WBC.

In order to preserve some sort of historical record, I am looking for photographs and videos of past events to display on this site. If you have them in digital format you can create an account and upload them from your computer. If you dont have access to a scanner, you can contact me using the link on the menu, and I will scan the photos for and upload them.

I believe that it will be equally important to preserve records of past Carnivals as well, as it cannot be guaranteed that WBC will allow manpower from the Ranger service to help in the organisation of the Carnival. There is no permanent Ranger presence anymore at Forest Park, and the removal of such an important Community resource may well have further impact on community events.

WBC and the Freedom of Information Act

Monday 2nd October 2006

You may be unaware that WBC as a public body have certain responsibilites in law, one of these is covered by the Freedom of Information Act.

Earlier this year I submitted a request to the council under this act, the wording as below:

I would like to see all documents, electronic or paper based, relating to the decision by Warrington Borough Council or it's Officers or Employees to cancel Birchwood Bonfire.

I do have some of these documents in my possession, however getting blood from a stone may be easier than completing this request.. I will start to share some of the more interesting documents relating to the bonfire on here as time goes by, however in the mean time I would encourage anyone interested to copy and paste the above request to hnorris@warrington.gov.uk

I was going to link to the online form that WBC had available, only it isn't there anymore, the web page is here with further information:

http://www.warrington.gov.uk/other/FOI.asp

Have fun.

Now the Firework Display Cancelled

Monday 25th September 2006

So David Stamp has announced the total cancellation of Firework displays in the Warrington area.

"The new service, which will be introduced at the end of the month, coincides with the launch of a new events programme for Autumn-Winter. This will not now feature community firework displays at Birchwood, Orford and Woolston Parks.
Mr Stamp said: "Unfortunately, the combination of severe budget pressures, together with increasingly onerous event management and essential site and public safety measures have resulted in these high cost events being withdrawn."

http://www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/

We have been sleep walking into the loss of these important community events. The council are here to serve the community, not themselves. I had hoped that the change in political leadership of the WBC in May this year,would have resulted in more control over the PC brigade of council officers.

This has not been the case, the debacle of the wheelie bins, and now this announcement are showing proof that the officers run this council to their own agendas.

Stamp cites health and safety issues again as a reason for the cancellation. This is a falsehood, I would encourage everyone to apply under the "Freedom of Information Act" for the H&S assessments for the bonfire and the community firework display. The H&S assessments were strikingly similar for the bonfire and the firework display. No one has been injured at the firework displays - fact.

I for one, would like to see some political backbone displayed by the Lib Dem and 'Conservative alliance in charge now. They have the opportunity to regain control of WBC for the tax payers of Warrington.

Bring back our 'official' Bonfires

From the Guardian Series, first published Friday 5th Nov 2004.

COUNCIL bosses have come under fire this week for their failure to organise any official bonfires in the town due to health and safety precautions.

Once an annual family outing, with bonfires held across the town at numerous locations, the traditional event has now been replaced by organised firework displays.

But the move, which has proved unpopular with the Warrington public, has angered many who are now calling on the council to reinstate the bonfires.

Birchwood town councillor Chris Fitzsimmons slammed the council's decision and blamed it on what he described as 'the health and safety mafia'.

Up until two years ago Birchwood Forest Park was the venue for one of the town's most popular bonfires but health and safety concerns meant the event had to be cancelled.

Clr Fitzsimmons said: "I've met with the borough council to discuss the matter but it was too late to organise anything for this year. We do hope to revive it for next year's 400th anniversary of Bonfire Night.

"I have expressed my dismay that the country has been taken over by the health and safety mafia, the same kind of mindset that says we can't have proper crockery at the town hall.

"I am disappointed that we can't have one this year but I accept that, to an extent, the Birchwood bonfire was a victim of its own success with far more people turning up than were initially expected."

Dave Stamp, Head of Landscape Services at Warrington Borough Council, said: "We carried out a major review of large scale council-run bonfires a few years ago and it identified a number of problems and health and safety issues with the sites.

"The issues were important enough to compromise the effective and safe planning of these events and we took the decision to focus our attention on free admission firework displays that would be suitable for the whole family and they are proving to be hugely successful."

From the Guardian Series
http://www.thisischeshire.co.uk
© Newsquest Media Group 2004