Fear loud fireworks ban could hit charity events

A councillor has suggested a ban on loud fireworks on land owned or managed by St Albans City and District Council

A council leader has said he opposes a suggestion loud fireworks should be banned on land owned by the authority.

A member of St Albans City and District Council mooted a ban on fireworks with a noise level over 90 decibels (dB) on land owned or managed by the council from October 2025.

But Paul De Kort, the Liberal Democrat council leader, warned there could be “unintended consequences”, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“We may well find there was not only much less money raised for those extremely good causes, but also an increase in the disturbance to animal welfare [if there were more private displays]," he said.

“Public displays which are organised, which are planned, which have set times and have controls, I would think are always better than fireworks going off in the street at random intervals.

"I think too much of that happens now, to be honest.”

'Moral issue'

The ban was suggested in a motion introduced by Mike Hobday, a Labour councillor.

He described Britain as “a nation of animal lovers”, and said he was seeking to build on a 2020 council motion that called on the government to ban fireworks louder than 90dB at private events.

He said: “To me, this is a moral issue.

“We should work hard to lessen the impact fireworks have on wildlife, domestic pets and people with noise sensitivities."

He added: “It’s therefore time for us to strengthen our approach… it is time for St Albans Council to take a lead.

“Where we control the land, and hence the fireworks, let us be a beacon of the practice that four years ago we asked others to emulate."

A briefing note provided to councillors said that restricting the use of fireworks would put the annual St Albans fireworks spectacular “at risk”.

It stated the fireworks would be “less exciting because noise is part of the visceral attraction of a fireworks display", adding "quieter fireworks result in a less impressive display”.

The report added that restrictions could have a “potential adverse economic effect on community groups and their local fundraising efforts”, with the fireworks event having donated more than £900,000 to charities since it began forty years ago.

The proposal has now been referred to the council's public realm committee on 12 November.