A FIREWORK safety control zone is to be established in Dumfries and Galloway in the aftermath of significant problems last year.
Councillors last week approved plans to designate a location where fireworks are effectively banned – in a bid to crack down on reckless behaviour.
The location has still to be determined, and it’s unclear whether or not more than one firework control zone (FCZ) will be introduced.
The issue was discussed at the council’s education, skills, and community wellbeing committee last week. It was explained to councillors that the council’s community safety officers would set up the FCZ.
North West Dumfries Councillor Paula Stevenson said: “There’s an awful lot here that relies on the (council’s) community safety team. Do they actually have the capacity?
“Now I’m completely in agreement with a firework control zone, but it needs to work properly.
“I have a concern that they don’t have that capacity with all the work that they already have, and I know that they’re also understaffed.
“I don’t see anything about the size of the area that would be proposed within the firework control zone, and also last year within my own ward, we had concerns in the autumn time around the use of fireworks.
“They were being used in incredibly inappropriate areas – and I know Annan had a significant problem as well.”
Martin Ogilvie, the council’s resilience and community safety manager, responded: “The process is led by the community safety team, the enforcement of course, because it’s criminal, would be led by Police Scotland.
“The capacity would have to sit with the Divisional Commander and his officers to determine whether or not they had the capability to enforce this.”
He admitted that the community safety team had shrunk in recent years from 29 members of staff to just 12.
“It would be myself and two team leaders facilitating this process,” said Mr Ogilvie.
“In terms of the zone, it would typically be a small identifiable place. As part of the application process, we would be looking to work with the applicant during the first 20 days to make sure we’re clear on the zone using a map so we can clearly determine the boundaries.”
Nith Councillor Keith Walters asked: “As the firework control zone is established, does that mean that people who are setting off fireworks in their own private gardens, they would be breaking the law?
Martin Ogilvie replied: “The police would not be enforcing (the rules) within back gardens.”
A ‘firework control zone’ could be designated in Galloway in a bid to improve safety for residents.
Members of the community will soon be able to request for a firework-free zone to be set up in their area.
Any requests made to the council would have to go through a five-stage process and there would have to be support from 25 signatories, as well as evidence of issues with fireworks and antisocial behaviour.
