Express & Star

Doubts over future of fireworks displays in Sandwell

Doubts have been raised about whether fireworks displays will continue to be held in Sandwell long term following damning criticism of the council's handling of last year's event.

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The fireworks show in Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich

Sandwell Council's leisure boss Richard Marshall said officials would have to consider whether Bonfire Night events were worth the authority's money and resources.

It comes after a scathing independent report said safety at big fireworks displays in the borough needed to be ‘thoroughly reviewed’.

Hundreds of people complained after being left queuing for hours to get into Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich last year.

Actions of wardens and the numbers of security in place on the night, as well as the running of the operation by the council, came in for criticism by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), which was called in by the authority to assess what went wrong.

Councillor Marshall said the council 'was looking' to hold two events this year, at Dartmouth Park and Victoria Park in Smethwick, but that they had not yet been confirmed.

As for future fireworks displays, he said the council would have to consider whether they continue.

It was the second time in three years that a Sandwell fireworks event was marred.

A stray rocket flew into the crowd at Brunswick Park in Wednesbury in 2014, injuring three.

Councillor Marshall said: "We are in times of austerity. These are things we don't have to put on.

"We want people to come into parks to enjoy themselves. We don't put these events on to hurt people, we put them on to make people happy."

On whether Sandwell Council would continue to host events beyond this year, Councillor Marshall said: "It is the sort of thing that will have to be considered. On this occasion we consider it will be worth it.

"We will see how this year's goes and take it from there."

The RoSPA's report also criticised the council’s ‘inconsistent’ policy on whether to charge for the Dartmouth Park event and said event planning was ‘hampered by untracked and late decisions’ from the authority.