Fireworks are banned completely in parts of the UK this November thanks to a little known law change.
One area of Scotland has become a Firework Control Zone for 10 days in November following problems with antisocial behaviour.
The ban will include Bonfire Night, November 5, this year in Glasgow’s southside area Pollokshields.
It will make it a criminal offence to light a firework anywhere within its boundaries during the ban, or to throw a firework into the zone.
The FCZ has been brought in after a new law was passed allowing local councils the power to designate zones where no fireworks will be allowed at all.
The area, with an estimated 12,000 population, has seen serious firework issues in the past few years including a riot on November 5 2018.
The ban will run from November 1 to 10 every year and will be enforced by police. Only sparklers will be allowed, and all other fireworks will be banned.
A six week long consultation has also been held on making the Firework Control Zone city-wide in the future.
The Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 gives local authorities a ‘discretionary power’ to introduce the control zones, which would make it a criminal offence to ignite a firework within its boundary or to fire or throw a firework into a zone.
Other areas of Scotland will be allowed to implement their own FCZs in time for Bonfire Night under the laws, but councils must approve it.
North Lanarkshire Council said of the law: “A firework control zone (FCZ) is not intended to be a catch-all solution to deal with issues involving fireworks. If a local authority, in agreement with partner agencies, considers a FCZ to be appropriate, it is expected that a zone would be utilised alongside other preventative and enforcement tools to have maximum effect.
“FCZs have not been designed to be the first or only step taken by local authorities to tackle issues associated with firework misuse, to be used extensively, or to encompass an entire local authority area.”
In England, although Firework Control Zones are not law, existing legislation on antisocial behaviour sets time limits for fireworks.
People in England and Wales cannot light any fireworks outside the hours of 7am to 11pm on any day of the year apart from Bonfire Night and New Year’s Eve.
On Bonfire Night, the curfew is extended to midnight, and on New Year’s Eve, it’s 1am.
Otherwise, lighting fireworks outside of those times could be considered ASB and can carry a fine of up to £90.
