Councillors call for change to city Bonfire Night date
TWO Drumchapel councillors are calling on the organiser of the annual Glasgow Green Bonfire Night display to change its date in order to allow the area’s own event to go ahead.
Councillor Paul Carey and Baillie Malcolm Balfour have joined forces in a bid to secure a future for the popular Winterfest event, which is held in Drumchapel Park each year.
The duo, alongside Police Scotland, will meet with Glasgow Life director Bridget McConnell next week, where they will propose switching the official city event to November 4.
Cllr Carey said: “If Winterfest is moved, we will return to the bad old days where rough bonfires will begin to spring up across the north west of the city, where there is the potential for members of the public to be seriously injured.
“The emergency services will also be stretched to the limit as they were pre-Winterfest.
“A precedent has been set by Glasgow Life in previous years where they have moved the Glasgow Green display.”
As previously reported, the event is under threat due to an- ti-social behaviour. Despite an overall decline in trouble since the event began 10 years ago, recent years have seen surrounding streets plagued with youth violence and dangerous handling of fireworks.
The need for a high-profile police presence at Glasgow Green and elsewhere throughout the city means police are being “stretched” too thin for both events.
Baillie Balfour says he is in agreement with his Labour counterpart and hopes Glasgow Life will consider the proposal, having previously moved the date from November 5 to November 4 so as not to clash with Celtic’s Europa match prompting outrage throughout the city. He told the Evening Times: “It would allow Winterfest to go ahead without having to take police away from other areas, that would help to resolve the problem that has been been there for the past few years.
“We’re looking to bring in other measures but there’s precedence for the date to move and, in my opinion, it’s more family friendly to have the event on the weekend.
“We’re confident in this year’s event going ahead, but it’s the future we’re concerned about.”
Since its inception, Winterfest has seen 100,000 people descend on the area, with 12,000 attending last year’s event.
Cllr Carey added: “The Winterfest has been so popular with families and both the young and older generations from all over, we do not want to let a small minority of people spoil it.
“That is why I am appealing to the community for help in identifying these people that are causing the anti-social behaviour at this event and allow us to continue to deliver it for the many in the community who come along and enjoy this great night and not have it stopped by a few individuals.”
A spokesman for Glasgow Life would not confirm if the bid would be accepted ahead of the meeting, which is to take place on March 27.
He said: “Glasgow’s fireworks regularly attracts more than 50,000 people to Glasgow Green and, as with every major event, we work closely with partner agencies to ensure public safety.
“On what is invariably a busy night for emergency services, Glasgow Green provides a safe and secure environment to enjoy Guy Fawkes Night on November 5.”