One of Merseyside's biggest bonfires has been cancelled in what organisers have called a "sad day for the community." The annual bonfire on the Woodchurch estate in Wirral, traditionally held on November 5, will not take place as previously planned after the charity Woodchurch Connect withdrew from organising it.
In a public Facebook post yesterday afternoon, Woodchurch Connect announced it had pulled out despite the best efforts of the "lads involved." Wirral Council has confirmed the withdrawal, stating that the charity cited the size restrictions of the bonfire as a contributing factor.
Organisers cite challenges
Woodchurch Connect said: "Unfortunately Woodchurch Connect is now not involved with the community bonfire this year. The lads who normally organise this have faced numerous challenges for the last couple of years which were unachievable for them and disappointing for them as they've done such a great job in the past and should be appreciated for their efforts in trying to create a community event.
"It was not for want of trying, everyone tried their best to make this event happen. Thank you to everyone who supported and helped raise funding. (It's a) sad day for the community."
Council responds
A Wirral Council spokesperson told the ECHO: "We have been working with the organisers, Woodchurch Connect, again this year towards staging a safe bonfire event on the estate on November 5 and had an agreement in principle with them - following a meeting of the multi-agency Wirral Events Safety Advisory Group last week - to use council land for this purpose.
"We have similar arrangements in place with organisers of other community bonfire and firework events in other parts of Wirral.
"We are disappointed to hear that the Woodchurch organisers have withdrawn from their role citing the size restrictions of the bonfire and ongoing discussions about other safety control measures.
"The dimensions stated are the maximum size for a community bonfire recommended across the country and supported locally by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. Other groups in Wirral have agreed to these restrictions for their bonfires.
"We continue to work with the group at Woodchurch to see what can be done to get the event back on track again before November 5."
Community efforts continue
The ECHO understands a group of different organisers are trying to ensure some form of bonfire on the Woodchurch still goes ahead, with messages shared on social media asking the community for their support.
Wirral Council's Bonfire Night policy was introduced for the first time in 2025 and saw the council support a number of community events being organised safely across the borough. The policy came in after concerns about the increasing size of bonfires in Wirral and followed a 2024 pilot. After further discussions, the Woodchurch fire was allowed to go ahead.
