The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 introduced discretionary power for local authorities to designate firework control zones.
A firework control zone is not intended to be a catch-all solution to deal with issues involving fireworks. If a local authority and local partners consider a firework control zone to be appropriate, it is expected that a zone would be utilised alongside other preventative and enforcement tools to have maximum effect. Existing approaches and tools utilised by local authorities to deal with issues involving fireworks are:
- Community engagement and awareness raising
- Enforcement activities
- Engaging with young people
Before any decision to designate a firework control zone, or to amend, or revoke an existing firework control zone the local authority must consult with:
- those who live or work in the proposed zone
- other members of the local community in or near the proposed zone; and
- any other persons or bodies that the local authority considers to have a connection with, be interested in or affected by the proposed zone.
Once a firework control zone has been designated, responsibility for enforcing the offences under the Act falls to Police Scotland.
The local authority in the future will establish a process for Community Requests. The purpose of a Community Request is to provide communities with a route to ask a local authority to formally consider whether a zone should be designated, amended or revoked.
A community is any group of people who feel they have something in common; in many cases, this may be that they live in the same area.
A Community Request cannot be made by an individual. However, complaints about antisocial behaviour concerning fireworks can still be made to us by emailing Trading Standards at tradingstandards@falkirk.gov.uk, who will then collate and analyse this information to identify any trends that need further investigation.