Portsmouth fireworks: Annual fireworks display in Cosham cancelled by Portsmouth City Council

Thousands of people attend the event each year, but new artificial pitches will mean there is no longer space to accommodate them, forcing the display to be either moved elsewhere or reduced in scale.

The decision comes despite assurances from the Liberal Democrat council as recently as last year that the new football hub, construction of which has now started, would not affect the playing fields’ ability to host major events.

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Councillor Steve Pitt, the cabinet member for culture, said the need to cancel the event was ‘disappointing’ but had to be balanced by the ‘huge investment and benefits’ brought by the new football facilities.

Speaking at Tuesday’s full council meeting, he said: ‘Whilst the open space for the fireworks’ firing zone and the safety zone remain, it is the feeling of the events team that there will not now be adequate space to enable the large numbers of attendees to safely watch and egress the event.

‘The fireworks display is just one of a number of events that takes place at the site and discussions will be held to consider the feasibility of all events going forward.

‘We absolutely recognise the relationship between the annual city firework display and its historic delivery in the north of the city and we will seek to make sure that this event remains in the north of the city.’

The council is now considering holding two simultaneous displays, one at each end of Portsmouth in a bid to spread out the number of attendees across the city. This could include a scaled-back display on the King George V playing fields but, if not, Cllr Pitt ‘pledged’ to find an alternative site in the north of the city.

Last year, Cllr Pitt’s predecessor as cabinet member, Ben Dowling, said the event would be able to continue after construction of the new facilities is finished but Cllr Pitt said this was because he did not have access to detailed plans for the project.

Councillor Matthew Atkins said he felt ‘somewhat misled’ and said the cancellation of the event was ‘very disappointing’.

‘Councillor [Lee] Mason and I sought repeated assurances, both from your officers and your predecessor, that the major events, including the fireworks display, would not be affected by this,’ he said. ‘It is not something that was communicated to residents that this event, which is much loved, would be potentially moved as a result of this.’

Cllr Mason said people in Cosham had been lied to by both council officers and the Lib Dem administration.

Speaking after the meeting, he said the decision, combined with the lack of a coronation Big Lunch in the north of Portsmouth, showed the Lib Dem administration’s ‘disregard’ for the area.

‘They are so Southsea-centric they don’t understand the importance of the events to people in the north of the city,’ he said. ‘We have been repeatedly misled about this and it was never mentioned in any consultation on the football hub.’