New safety rules that aim to keep Scots safe in public locations could spell the end of Dundee's annual firework displays.
Dundee City Council says the incoming Protect Duty - established in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena attack to keep people safe in emergencies - rules out using Baxter Park for firework displays.
An assessment of the Stobswell green space by council, police and fire officers has "cast a shadow" over its ability to keep people safe in the event of an evacuation, according to an authority spokesperson.
Dundee normally holds two publicly funded firework displays on Bonfire Night, at Baxter Park and at Lochee Park, with up to 25,000 people attending each event.
Council officers are keen to spin the bad news as a positive, saying the £50,000 set aside for the displays could be reinvested elsewhere, such as to support events at Christmas. They want councillors to sign off on the cash shuffle on Monday June 27.
Cllr Mark Flynn, convener of the council's city development committee, said: “While I understand that some people may be disappointed by this, our first priority has to be the safety of people in our communities.
"With the changes in guidance, that can no longer be taken for granted."
He added: “The pandemic has also had a role to play, in particular last year when we were unable to stage fireworks displays and instead channelled the money into an even better offering for residents and visitors at Christmas.
"It showed what could be done if we look at things differently and don’t simply keep doing things the way they’ve always been done.”
Protect is a UK Government initiative designed to keep people safe in public spaces, largely driven by campaigners following the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017.
Informally named Martyn's Law after bombing victim Martyn Hett, it will require event organisers to prepare rigorous risk assessments and properly planned escape routes in the event of an emergency.
An assessment of Baxter Park against the new guidelines concluded that it does not have "adequate" emergency exits. Safety bods say the park's exits are too narrow to support crowds of up to 25,000.
In turn, council assessors say a single event at Lochee Park for up to 40,000 people would not be "suitable" - and have suggested that the events are canned entirely.
However, opposition councillors have called for the authority to think carefully about its next steps, as the council has previously encouraged people to attend public events instead of buying their own pyrotechnics.
Lib Dem Cllr Fraser Macpherson, from the West End, told The Courier newspaper: “The knee-jerk reaction to the report has been to recommend the complete cancellation of future firework displays.
“The message from the council in the past has been not to have private displays where there is a health and safety risk, but go to public displays that are well managed.
“Now there are not going to be public displays.”
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