Minutes:
The Council received a notice of motion moved by Councillor Sarah Madigan and seconded by Councillor Christian Chapman as follows:-
“Fireworks are used by people throughout the year to mark different events. And with this year being so depressing Bonfire Night with fireworks brought a brief moment of excitement and happiness.
However, fireworks do bring fear and distress for many animals including pets, farm livestock and wildlife. Animals affected not only suffer psychological distress but can also cause themselves injuries, sometimes very serious ones as they attempt to run away or hide from the loud and high intensity noises that many fireworks make.
To quote from the British Veterinary Association.
Around 1 in 14 vets across the country reported seeing animals with firework-related injuries over 2018 with most reports coming from equine vets. By far the most commonly reported cases were self-injuries caused by fireworks-related anxiety, for example, a dog who tried to escape from its kennel and in the process pulled out all of its front teeth, and a horse that suffered a fractured splint bone as it bolted from its field.
Further, the latest PDSA Animal Wellbeing report revealed that 3.6 million dogs could have suffered this Bonfire Night. During 2018, PDSA's Pet Hospitals treated 1,400 animals for firework related issues such as phobias and injuries, an increase from 1,200 the previous year, a clear indication that not only do fireworks adversely affect many animals but more and more are suffering.
There is no doubt it is particularly the loud noise from fireworks that causes anxiety and harm to animals, but it doesn’t have to be this way because fireworks don’t have to be noisy to be spectacular. There are wide ranges of quiet fireworks throughout the country that give all the colours without the bangs, these are easily available so therefore consumers do have a choice when making their firework purchases.
We are not killjoys and don’t want to stop firework displays we do however want to stop animal suffering, and as such we propose the following.
1. All future Ashfield District Council firework displays will use low noise fireworks and will encourage all residents of Ashfield to do the same.
2. This Council resolves, to require all public firework displays within the local authority boundaries to be advertised in advance of the event, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals.
3. To write to the UK Government urging them to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of fireworks to 90dB for those sold to the public for private displays.
4. To actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks.”
Having been fully considered, the motion was put to the vote and it was
RESOLVED that
a) all future Ashfield District Council firework displays will use low noise fireworks and will encourage all residents of Ashfield to do the same;
b) the Council resolves to require all public firework displays within the local authority boundaries to be advertised in advance of the event, allowing residents to take precautions for their animals;
c) to write to the UK Government urging them to introduce legislation to limit the maximum noise level of fireworks to 90dB for those sold to the public for private displays;
d) to actively promote a public awareness campaign about the impact of fireworks on animal welfare including the precautions that can be taken to mitigate risks.