Use Imagination to Bring Back Southwark Fireworks, Lib Dems Demand
Southwark Liberal Democrats are demanding the council use its imagination to bring back its fireworks display after scrutinising its cancellation at a meeting on Wednesday.
Group Leader, Cllr Victor Chamberlain, pushed cabinet officer Joseph Brown to explain if the authority had considered other options to keep the free fireworks display alive.
At the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting, Cllr Chamberlain pointed out that sustainable fireworks displays and private sponsorship could be an alternative.
London held its “most environmentally-friendly” fireworks display, which used drones, last year and Wandsworth Borough Council plan to host a carbon-neutral event this year.
Cambridge City Council are also putting on one of the largest free public displays in the region with support from the business community and donations from attendees.
Southwark Council announced in October that it would cancel its fireworks display in Southwark Park, which ran for sixteen years prior to covid.
This came after the council cut funding to beloved community event Bermondsey Carnival, while allowing for a private K-pop festival to take place in the same park.
The council explained that concerts such as the K-pop festival would pay for public events, but organisers cancelled the free Bermondsey Carnival due to lack of money.
Commenting, Cllr Victor Chamberlain said: “Despite the many budget pressures we face in local government, other councils are still managing to protect firework events like this and host them in an environmentally sustainable way. It is vital we bring communities together now more than ever. It is disgraceful that the council privatised Southwark Park and now local people are getting nothing back. The council have forced the cancellation of the century-old Bermondsey Carnival and are not creating chances for the community to get together. The council needs to use its imagination and work with sponsors to keep events like this going for local people.”