Calls for action to be taken across Calderdale over anti-social use of fireworks

Councillors and candidates in Calderdale are already receiving complaints from members of the public inflamed by fireworks already being set-off, causing disturbance and anti-social behaviour issues.

Andrew Tagg, who stood unsuccessfully for election as a Conservative at Ovenden in May’s local elections, said a resident in the north Halifax ward has contacted him saying they were plagued by anti-social behaviour related to fireworks which were being set off late at night.

He wanted to know what Calderdale Council was doing about the issue and if the authority’s community safety team mobile cameras were being deployed to try and identify the perpetrators.

Coun Jenny Lynn (Lab, Park), Cabinet member for Public Services and Communities, said none of the community safety teams were aware of an increase in firework nuisance in Ovenden in recent months, only being aware of two reports in the last three months compared to five in the same period last year.

But she encouraged people to keep reporting incidents, and Calderdale was involved in a new community partnership-funded programme aimed at supporting young people by preventing them being victims or perpetrators of crime.

The police and staff from local youth organisations would be patrolling together and visiting locations that attract young people, further supported by community safety wardens and youth offender teams, she said.

Coun Ashley Evans (Lib Dem, Warley) said it was not good enough and related an incident a family has reported to him of fireworks being set off in the afternoon and again at night, and again the following night.

The family said the noise was terrible and it appeared commercial grade air bombs and bangers were involved.

“It’s time we took action to do something about it and not rely on ‘we have had no reports’.

“It’s a regular occurrence,” he said.

Coun Lynn said she had made it clear she encouraged people to report firework-related anti-social behaviour and for two months before Bonfire Night neighbourhood teams worked with fire and police service colleagues to ensure bonfires being built were not a safety hazard and visited retail shops to ensure sales law was being followed.

“This is a problem we do take very seriously,” she said.

The questions were raixsed at the full meeting of Calderdale Council.

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