A popular free fireworks display that had to be abandoned due to cost several years ago could yet return in a different form.
The annual Bonfire Night displays at Leverhulme Park have not run since November 2019, having been cancelled first due the pandemic and later because of “rising costs.”
But responding to recent queries from the community, new council leader Cllr Nick Peel says although there are no plans to bring the event back this year, he is happy to have officers look at ways it could be brought back in future.
Cllr Peel said: “We haven’t had an organised fireworks display since 2019, and the budget that used to be used has long since vanished.
“The budget that was in place never covered the full costs, and environmental services were usually left with a huge clean-up bill.
“We have no plans in place to hold one this year.”
He added: “I do, however, remain open minded to the prospect of sponsorship money being used in future.
“However, this would require a great amount of work, as we would need to fully understand the full costs involved, including clean-up costs, and pitch or field restoration costs, which can be quite expensive.”
Before its abrupt end after 2019, the Leverhulme Park festival had been a fixture in the Bolton events calendar for more than 20 years.
Cllr Peel explained that as well as sponsorships, new drone technology could help revive the festival in a somewhat different way.
He said: “There are other things the council is looking at including drone technology which is much more environmentally friendly and cost effective.
“I’ve seen some of these drone displays elsewhere, and they really can be quite spectacular.”
Cllr Peel says he decided to ask the authority’s officers to examine this following long-running questions from the public that precede his time as leader about bringing the festival back.
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Mo Akram is one such Bolton resident who contacted the council leadership directly about this, suggesting that private sponsorships could help make the event more financially viable.
He also felt that it could help reduce problems for the police by keeping people at an organised and planned, rather than unofficial, event.
Mr Akram said: “There are obvious environmental impacts from the annual event, however this needs to be balanced with the large number of unorganised events and the increase in crime and anti-social behaviour towards the emergency services on one of their busiest nights.”
He added that he welcomed hearing that Bolton Council was looking into how feasible reviving the event would be.
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