Fireworks Control Zones (FCZ)

Fireworks Control Zone Application Form (opens new window)

The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 gives councils a new discretionary power to introduce Firework Control Zones.

On 22 June 2023, the Scottish Government issued Guidance on Firework Control Zones for Local Authorities.

We as the Council will oversee the process which will facilitate the designation of Firework Control Zones within the City.  The introduction of these new measures are not intended to cover the whole local authority area as a FCZ and are part of a suite of measures to tackle firework issues.

Information on other measures can be found at Business Companion Fireworks

The Fireworks (Scotland) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 2021 brought in restrictions regarding the times when fireworks can be purchased by the public (7am - 6pm) together with a limit of 5kg net explosive mass (NEM) in any single transaction. This is currently restricted to four periods in the year - Bonfire/Fireworks Season, New Year, Chinese New Year and Diwali.  

The Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 will at a future point, decided by Scottish Government, further restrict the dates of sale/supply to the public, together with restrictions on the days of use.

It is a criminal offence for a member of the public to ignite a firework, (except F1 Fireworks e.g. sparklers), within a FCZ within the Glasgow City Council boundary, this includes private property such as a garden.

It is also an offence to fire a firework into the boundaries of a zone; or to knowingly or recklessly throw or cast a lit firework into a zone.

These offences are enforced by Police Scotland and apply on all days that the FCZ has effect, unless the designation specifies particular days on which the FCZ is to operate, in which case the FCZ applies on these days only.

Criteria

A request cannot be made by an individual. Applications for consideration of a FCZ can only be submitted by:

• A community of residents (25 signatures)
• A welfare group or
• A Community Council

Please note if you are applying on behalf of a community of residents that a lead applicant must be designated. We will only notify the lead applicant on the progress and outcome of the application submitted. Lead Applicants are also required for Community Councils and Welfare groups.

The community request application form will require information on:

• The reasons for the proposed new FCZ, or for amending or revoking an existing zone
• The boundaries of the zone
• The start and end dates required for the zone to take effect

Before submitting you must consult with:

• Those who live or work in the proposed zone
• Members of the local community in or near the proposed zone

Process

A community request for a FCZ can be considered by using our online form.

If a request is accepted the formal process would begin as stated in the guidance for consultation on FCZ. All consultations can be viewed on our Consultation Hub.

If the request is denied at the application stage, we will provide the reason as to why. You will then have 28 days to request a review of the decision and be advised of the changes required. Please note that if a request is denied, any other requests that cover the same or similar geographical area cannot be made within 12 months.

A community request cannot be made by an individual, however complaints about antisocial behaviour concerning fireworks can be reported to Police Scotland by telephoning 101 or 999 depending on severity. Concerns about underage sales, unsafe storage, unlicensed trading and illegal fireworks within the Glasgow City boundary can be reported to the Council's Trading Standards service at ts.enquiries@glasgow.gov.uk.

A community of residents has been defined as 25 supporting signatures. Names and addresses must be provided for all supporting applicants. Supporting applicants may be contacted by us in relation to the application. Supporting applicants must be residents within the area which the FCZ is being proposed. Applications which do not provide details of all supporting applicants will not be processed.

Timelines

Applications must be submitted no later 12 June 2024 for Firework Control Zones which are required to be operational for November 2024.

All applications will be acknowledged within 5 working days of receipt. 

Regardless of the outcome all reports will include a summary of responses, an analysis of responses received, an analysis of respondents and the Council's reason for the decision taken.

Reviews of Designated Firework Control Zones (FCZ)

We will review designated FCZ. This is to understand how a zone is operating and evaluate its effectiveness in addressing the local issues involving fireworks which led to the designation of the zone.

Upon conclusion of a review, we will prepare and publish a report of the review's findings and make such proposals in relation to the zone(s), as it considers appropriate. This could, for example, result in no change to the existing zone, or a proposal to amend the zone boundaries, or to revoke a zone.

Existing Measures to Address the Misuse of Fireworks

The Fireworks (Scotland) Miscellaneous Amendment Regulations 2021 which amended The Fireworks (Scotland) Regulations 2004 which gives us a range of measures to address the misuse of Fireworks.

The following measures are now in place within Glasgow:

• Restricting the times of day fireworks can be used by the general public to between 6pm and 11pm, with the exception of 5 November (when they can be used from 6pm until midnight), New Year's Eve, the night of Chinese New Year and the night of Diwali (when they can be used from 6pm until 1am)
• Restricting the times of day fireworks can be supplied to the public to during daytime hours of 7am and 6pm, alongside existing requirements on retailers around the sale and storage of fireworks
• Limiting the quantity of fireworks that can be supplied to the public to 5kg (Net explosive quantity) at any one time

Trading Standards are responsible for the full licensing process in relation to fireworks including grant, renewal, refusal or revocation where necessary.

A programme of compliance checks begin as soon as any licence applications / renewals are received. Compliance checks often commence in July, albeit most inspections are conducted 4 to 6 weeks prior to 5 November and extend to beyond the end of the sales period which is usually 10 November.

Compliance checks also include online Glasgow based firework sellers.

Targeted Interventions

In 2018 Pollokshields experienced significant antisocial behaviour including firework misuse before and on the 5 of November. In response, the council and partner agencies developed an action plan to tackle the misuse of fireworks. The approach has been developed and deployed each year since.

A significant amount of community engagement and communication is undertaken including promotional material in public spaces, letters to residents and school pupil guardians, direct engagement with school pupils and diversionary activities with young people on the 5 of November.

Consultations

All consultations can be viewed on our Consultation Hub.

Results

All results will be published on our website. Links to these applications will be provided here when available.

Appeals Process

If you wish to appeal a decision you can by completing our online form.