Westminster Life: Cracking Down on Nuisance Fireworks

The Government’s decision to launch a 12‑week consultation on fireworks is a major step forward, and it has come about in no small part because people in Peterborough have spoken up and pressed for change.

Since being elected, I have made nuisance fireworks one of my key local campaigns, after hearing repeatedly from residents about late‑night bangs, frightened pets and fireworks being used irresponsibly in our streets. Complaints have come in from across the city, from Dogsthorpe and Bretton to the streets around Central Park, with people telling me this is now one of the most persistent issues affecting their quality of life. I’ve heard from dozens of people about the misery caused when powerful fireworks are let off at all hours with no regard for neighbours, vulnerable people or animals.

Back in January, I wrote in this column about backing a Private Member’s Bill brought forward by my Labour colleague Sarah Owen MP to tighten the rules on fireworks, including reducing permitted noise levels and closing loopholes that allow unlicensed sellers to trade at certain times of year. I was proud to support that Bill because I knew how many people here in Peterborough were affected by this issue.

Building on my support for the Bill, I launched a petition that was backed by more than 1,500 people, calling for tighter controls on the loudest consumer fireworks and sending a clear message to ministers that Peterborough wanted action. I have met residents, neighbourhood groups and animal welfare charities to listen to their experiences, from pets bolting in panic, to veterans and children suffering anxiety when explosions go off late into the night.

Although the Bill ran out of time, it helped put fireworks firmly on the national agenda. Now, the Government has finally responded to these concerns. The new consultation proposes restricting the loudest fireworks so they are only available to professional displays, reviewing and expanding the list of banned pyrotechnic products, and updating the rules for so‑called lower‑risk items so the law better reflects the different levels of risk they pose. Ministers say this is the most extensive review of fireworks legislation in a generation, a direct response to the kind of campaigning that people in Peterborough and across the country have led. Views gathered during the 12‑week exercise will feed into new secondary legislation aimed at cracking down on anti‑social behaviour while still allowing communities to enjoy well‑run, safer displays.

This is, undeniably, a win for our city. Peterborough has been ahead of the curve on fireworks, and the strength of local feeling has helped push this issue up the national agenda. But we are not finished. I want as many residents as possible to take part in the consultation, to ensure the final changes reflect the real‑world experiences of people here. You can respond online via the Government’s “Fireworks and pyrotechnics in the UK” consultation, or by email and post, and I will continue to make the case in Westminster for quieter, safer fireworks that put communities like ours first.