BONFIRE night firework display will not go ahead this year in Barnard Castle as councillors feel the “risk” is too great.
Barnard Castle Christmas Lights Committee, with the help of The Clique charity fundraising group, have organised the town’s annual bonfire and firework display for the past couple of years on the upper Demesnes.
In a letter to the council, lights committee officials explained preparation work for the event takes months to put into place and fireworks would need to be ordered in August if the display was to go ahead.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic members of the town council decided against allowing the event this year.
Cllr Sandra Moorhouse worried that if the town was the only firework display in the region then large numbers of people from other areas would turn up.
She added: “It happened to Gainford one year and I don’t think we could take the risk here.”
Cllr Ian Kirkbride said there were too many unknowns about events of this size.
He added the number of stewards that would be required to police the event would make it impossible to host.
Mayor Cllr John Blissett added: “We don’t know where we will be in November. I don’t think it is worth the risk.
“We don’t want them [Christmas Lights Committee and The Clique] to lose money because they work hard to raise it in the first place.”
Roger Peat, of Barnard Castle Christmas Lights committee, said: “We were expecting the news. I have talked to the company that we were going to for the fireworks.
“They were hoping it would go ahead, but it was always going to be a concern for social distancing as that would be an issue.”
Although the bonfire night event is a major fundraising event for the committee Mr Peat said the group had a built in “buffer” for years when donations were low.
However, Mr Peat had hoped donations to their new online system could have helped offset this, but it had not taken off as expected.
Although the fireworks display won’t be going ahead this year the lights will still illuminate the town at Christmas.
Newly purchased drop lights will be strewn across several locations and festoon lighting will replace icicles in Galgate.
Mr Peat added the set-up of the lights will take longer this year due to the new coronavirus guidance.
He said: “We have also got sensors so we can switch most of the lights on ourselves as well.”
Anyone who would like to donate funds to the Christmas Lights can now text their donation.
To donate £1 text light to 70201; £3 text light to 70331; £5 text light to 70970; and £10 text light to 70191.
