Oxford’s traditional bonfire display cancelled after neighbours complained about smoke

A popular bonfire display in Oxford has been called off after neighbours complained about the smoke.

The Labour-run Oxford City Council has said that the Guy Fawkes’ night celebrations this year will go ahead without a bonfire – the first time since the event launched 57 years ago.

Organised by Oxford Round Table charity fireworks, the event took a battering last year when vexed locals complained about the damage caused by the bonfire.

Neighbouring residents voiced their concerns to the local authority, and also complained that the embers burned into the next morning.

Around 20,000 people attend the event in 2023, and similar numbers are expected this year.

Last year, thanks to heavy rainfall, parts of the green space were ruined due to vehicles churning up the grass.

Oxford Round Table, who hosted the event in South Park, was forced to pay for the damages.

Alex Powell, a Green Party councillor, told a council meeting: “I’m pleased there won’t be a bonfire this year.

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“A lot of the damage caused was from vehicles moving logs to the fire and some residents complained about the smoke and that the fire was still burning the following morning.

“The most important thing is that we work together to protect the park.”

This year, the Labour council has issued a permit to the charity with strict conditions to ensure the damages seen in 2023 are not repeated.

The move has been criticised as “draconian”, with Ajaz Rehman, an independent councillor, saying that he fears the ban could negatively impact the turnout of the event.

At a meeting on October 7, he said: “I’ve been going to the fireworks event for over 50 years… it belongs to the whole of Oxford.

“We talk about cancelling something like this… it’s within the fabric of this city.

“Everybody wants as little damage as possible, but we don’t want to make it draconian and difficult for the Round Table people.”

Defending the decision, Alex Hollingsworth, a Labour councillor said: “Last year’s event and the damage that was caused was damaging for the park and upsetting for local residents.”

“It was a collaborative approach to take out the fire, which was a major cause of the damage,” he added.

Last year, many Britons were left disappointed after bonfire night celebrations across the country were cancelled, with poor weather and budgetary reasons being cited as the cause.

Thanks to November 2023’s Storm Ciaran, organisers of fireworks displayers decided to axe celebrations due to dangerous winds of over 100mph and heavy rain.

Councils also pulled the plug on their events, with organisers citing issues with costs and “regulations” as the reasons.

Other local authorities decided to shorten the displays or ticket the events in order to save money.

Rob Watling, owner of Peak Fireworks in Nottingham, said sharp increases in the cost of fireworks would have been a major factor in the decisions.

“In the past few years, shipping costs have increased by over 400 per cent,” he said.

A pack of fireworks for a commercial event can cost as much as £4,000.