Fireworks will be banned in parts of Scotland for 11 days this November under new Firework Control Zones (FCZs), making it a criminal offence to light a firework within their boundaries.
The bans, which cover Bonfire Night on November 5, run from October 30 to November 9. In Glasgow, the zones apply to the southside areas of Pollokshields, Broomhouse, Glasgow Harbour and Pollok SSPCA. In Edinburgh, 14 areas of the city are covered, including Calton Hill, Seafield, Gracemount and Lochend.
Criminal Offence and Enforcement
Under the zones, it becomes a criminal offence to ignite a firework anywhere inside the boundaries during the ban, or to throw a firework into the zones. The bans will be enforced by police, and only sparklers will be allowed, with all other fireworks prohibited.
The measure follows the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics (Scotland) Act 2022, which gives local authorities a discretionary power to introduce control zones. The law allows councils to designate areas where no fireworks will be permitted at all.
Background and Council Powers
Glasgow's Pollokshields, with an estimated population of 12,000, has experienced serious firework issues in recent years, including a riot on November 5, 2018.
Other areas of Scotland can implement their own FCZs in time for Bonfire Night under the law, but councils must approve them. North Lanarkshire Council said of the law: "A firework control zone (FCZ) is not intended to be a catch-all solution to deal with issues involving fireworks. If a local authority, in agreement with partner agencies, considers a FCZ to be appropriate, it is expected that a zone would be utilised alongside other preventative and enforcement tools to have maximum effect. FCZs have not been designed to be the first or only step taken by local authorities to tackle issues associated with firework misuse, to be used extensively, or to encompass an entire local authority area."
