Norwich Big Boom fireworks display cancelled to save money

Cancelling the fireworks display will save the council around £33,000 this year

A city's main firework display is unlikely to return in the near future as "tough choices" are made on spending, council bosses have said.

Cancelling the Norwich Big Boom event will save the city council about £33,000 this year.

The Labour-led authority has had to find £6.2m in budget savings this year.

Mike Stonard, the council's Labour leader, said: "There is a shortage of funds and the event budgets had to be cut back."

It has been four years since the popular fireworks display was last held.

"I really, really regret that because the whole point of the fireworks was that it was something free, that families could go to," said Mr Stonard.

Norwich City Council said it had to "choose between some pretty tough priorities"

"And particularly in these hard times, I recognise that it is something people would really value.

"But we have to choose between some pretty tough priorities and we've got some pretty big savings to continue to make."

Mr Stonard said the council had to prioritise things that "really matter" to people, like keeping a 100% council tax reduction scheme for people on low incomes. Other councils provide smaller reductions.

'Love to bring it back'

"Sadly, for the time being, I don't think they [fireworks] will be back," he added.

"It is something that we would really, really love to bring back".

The event attracted an estimated 10,000 people in 2018 and took place for the last time in November 2019, with the 2020 and 2021 events called off due to the pandemic.

Last year's show was also cancelled to save money.

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