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Transparency, Accountability and Democracy

I’ll be stepping away from my usual ironic style for this post. The subject is too important for irony or levity. This is about Democracy, Transparency, and Accountability—principles you we are rapidly losing in this country.

When Fireworks Become a Smoke Screen for Civic Evasion

There’s something symbolically perfect about fireworks. Bright, loud, and fleeting—designed to distract, dazzle, and then disappear. A bit like how Oswestry Town Council appears to handle public scrutiny.

Let us speak plainly.

On the 2nd of November 2024, Oswestry held its annual firework display at Cae Glas Park. A time-honoured tradition, one might say. But this time, the bangs weren’t just overhead—they echoed from the community itself. Residents expressed serious concerns: about safety, about planning, and about how such a large-scale event could be run with so little visible accountability.

These concerns weren’t muttered over pub tables or confined to social media rants. They were raised directly, openly, and repeatedly—to councillors, to the Town Clerk, and even via formal channels. And yet, what has been the Council’s response?

Silence. Ambiguity. Evasion dressed up as procedure.

This is where we must draw a line.

Oswestry Town Council does not exist to manage reputations. It exists to serve the public, in full view of that public, and to be accountable when things go awry. And things did go awry. Whether it was the alleged absence of a formal risk assessment process, the mysterious silence from the Safety Advisory Group, or the distinct lack of post-event transparency, the Town Council’s approach has been more smoke bomb than spotlight.

Let us be absolutely clear: democracy isn’t measured by ceremonial photo ops or carefully crafted press releases. It is measured by how councils respond when the public asks uncomfortable questions.

So, here are ours—once again, and now for the public record:

• Who signed off the event’s risk assessments, and what scrutiny was applied?
• Was the Shropshire Safety Advisory Group consulted? If not, why not?
• Why has no debrief or public-facing report followed the event and the complaints?
• And most importantly: who takes responsibility?

These are not petty queries from keyboard warriors. These are the basic, non-negotiable expectations of a functioning democracy. If public money was spent, if public safety was potentially compromised, and if public trust is now in question, then public answers are required.

To that end, The Alternative Council calls on Oswestry Town Council to publish a full and transparent post-event report into the planning, safety, and aftermath of the 2024 fireworks event. This report must include:

1. The original risk assessments and insurance documents;
2. The full list of involved parties and consultations (including with SAG);
3. The timeline of decisions and the individuals or bodies responsible;
4. The formal response to public concerns and complaints.

Should this not be forthcoming, then the conclusion is hard to avoid: that this is not a case of oversight, but a deliberate culture of opacity. A Council that governs behind closed doors should not be surprised when trust evaporates like smoke in the night air.

The people of Oswestry deserve better. They deserve answers. They deserve governance that respects the fundamental principles of Transparency, Accountability and Democracy—not just in speeches and slogans, but in every document, every decision, and every public event.

The fireworks may be over. But the reckoning has just begun.

Fact: Council meeting minutes 6th December 2024

It was agreed that the Town Council would need to carry out a review of the fireworks evening to identify what went wrong and why, and a report would then be brought to Council in the public domain with feedback and criticism received taken into account.

Fact: Council meeting minutes 12th March 2025

203. Exclusion of Public and Press

Resolved that by the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 (S1(2)) and in accordance with the provisions of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded for the remainder of the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the Acts.

OTC/11/25

11 | P a g e

Council in Private Session

204. Event Report – Firework Evening Following discussion it was resolved to:

• Accept the recommendations in the report and to note that improvements in event planning and communication had been implemented with immediate effect;

• To note that the event cannot be delivered in the same way as previous years;

• Recognise that given the significant risks associated with the event and the issues experienced in 2024, no plans for an event be made until the new Council determines its approach;

• Note that it is the new Council’s decision to determine if the event goes ahead in the future and how and where it would be delivered;

• Note that in order to support the consideration of the matter, alternative event management plans be drawn up and costed;

• Determine that no further action would be taken by the Council.

Fact: Freedom of Information request to Shropshire Council 29 November 2024.

Request: A copy of the minutes of a recent meeting of the Shropshire Council Safety Advisory Group (SAG) concerning an event organised by Oswestry Town Council that relate to a Firework display held in Cae Glas Park, Oswestry on 2nd November.

Answer: This information is not held. A meeting was not held and therefore, there are no associated minutes.

The question was clear: the answer was clear.

Someone has a very short memory………Or is telling us lies……..Who?