A “longstanding” fireworks display has been cancelled following a row over “unworkable” conditions and restrictions.
Hoylake Sailing Club said it had abandoned plans for the Hoylake Beach event because Wirral Council and Natural England had imposed “unworkable” restrictions at the Dee Estuary beauty spot.
The beach has become a controversial issue due to a debate about its future, with arguments for the vegetation growing on it naturally to be left alone, while others call for the whole thing to be cleared.
Charlotte Smith, from the Hoylake Beach Community group, slammed the local authority for stopping a “longstanding cultural event” that supported both the local sailing club and the local lifeboat charity.
The longstanding event had to be cancelled
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A spokesman from the sailing club said: “With regret, we must announce that our Bonfire & Fireworks Event will NOT be taking place this year.
Restrictions around the beach imposed by the Local Authority due to Natural England’s requirements have simply made it unworkable, with limitations on the position and sizing of the bonfire and, most significantly, no vehicle access allowed.
“To have to manually carry items across the beach to build a bonfire within a confined space would be too much to ask of volunteers. To have to then transport fireworks across the beach in the evening without the use of a vehicle (possibly in wet conditions) and attempt their safe and dry storage prior to lighting would simply not be feasible.
“We’re sorry to have to disappoint the regular supporters of this event, but felt we had little option but to cancel in the overall interests of the Club and our members, and hope that you will understand this decision.”
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The beach at Holylake, seen from Hilbre Island in the Dee Estuary.
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At a tourism, communities, culture and leisure committee meeting on October 17, Smith said the event was “a long standing cultural event” that supported the local RNLI and the sailing club, adding there was “great anger” at its sudden cancellation and blamed the council, reports Wirral Globe.
Council legal officer Vicki Shaw said it wasn’t an event organised by the council however added it was their understanding the organisers decided not to go ahead “not that the council is preventing the matter from proceeding” and it was “disappointed it won’t be going ahead.”
Neighbourhoods director Jason Gooding added the responsibility for the beach sat with the council as its landowner but that didn’t mean the council could just do what it wanted.
He said if the council broke environmental protections on the area, it could lead to prosecutions and they were open to trying to find a way for the event to go ahead with permission from Natural England. He said: “We’ve tried but clearly failed to find a way of supporting the organisers to hold that event in a way that will satisfy both parties.”
The council came under criticism from West Kirby Conservative councillor Jenny Johnson. She said: “The community is crying out for this and I’m afraid the council is simply not listening and not doing what I suggest they need to do which is get the communities back on side and give them back their firework displays, give them back their chance to do their activities, and create an amenity beach with immediate effect because I’m afraid this is going on too long.
Tory Councillor Ian Lewis who chairs the committee also apologised to Smith and to the Hoylake community “for the council’s conduct on this.”
A Wirral Council spokesperson told the Globe: “Wirral Council officers had been assisting members of the club seeking to deliver this event under the same restrictions on the use of the beach as last year, and we are sorry to hear that it will not be taking place this year.”
