Oswestry Firework Display – Incident Review and Governance Analysis
Summary
On 2nd November 2024, Oswestry Town Council (“OTC”) staged a “free” public firework
display at Cae Glas Park. This review highlights the stark contrast between duty and
delivery, and how “accountability” became the night’s most explosive omission.
Event Planning and Regulatory Compliance
SAG Consultation & Risk Management
- OTC did notify the Shropshire Safety Advisory Group (SAG) as evidenced by the
formal submission form. - However, no SAG meeting appears to have taken place for this specific event,
confirmed via FOI and email trails from Shropshire Council and SAG — which
contradicts public statements from Mayor Mike Isherwood suggesting all
approvals were obtained through SAG. - Raising the question: was the SAG advice application actually sent by the event
organiser to SAG?
Licensing and Permissions
- Shropshire Council’s guidance is unequivocal — events likely to exceed 499
attendees require a Premises Licence, comprehensive risk assessments,
crowd control plans, and emergency planning. - The OTC documentation confirms the event expected up to 9,000 attendees —
raising serious questions as to how licensing requirements were satisfied or
sidestepped.
Responsibilities of OTC as Event Organiser
- OTC, as event organiser, holds primary duty of care for the event’s safety and
regulatory compliance. - SAG is advisory only — ultimate liability and responsibility rests with OTC.
Event Delivery Failures
Crowds and Site Management
- No effective crowd control was in place according to attendee testimonies.
- Delays, bottlenecks, and unsafe exits were heavily criticised.
- The public were left confused and potentially at risk due to dark and
inadequately stewarded exit points.
Communication and Safety Procedures
- PA system inadequately used; updates on delays were non-existent or poorly
managed. - Marshalls and volunteers were not trained or briefed to handle large crowd
dynamics, a clear breach of SAG best practice recommendations.
Emergency Planning
- No formal evacuation plan has been evidenced.
- No independent Event Safety Officer role was identified in the chain of command
(despite OTC stating otherwise via Councillor Isherwood’s comments).
Post-Event Obfuscation
Report Withholding and FOI Evasion
- Mayor Isherwood claimed the event was signed off through all proper channels
(SAG), but FOI evidence from Shropshire Council and SAG itself disputes this. - OTC maintained silence or evasive positions despite repeated public and press
enquiries.
Conclusions
In the pantheon of Local Government Misadventures, Oswestry’s firework fiasco is less
Guy Fawkes and more Dad Lighting a Catherine Wheel in Slippers. The event
demonstrated not just a failure of health and safety, but a wholesale ignition of the
principles of public accountability.
- A “free event” that cost the public dear — not only in council tax but in trust.
- A “signed-off plan” that no safety advisory body appears to have properly
seen. - A “public report” that had to be smuggled behind closed doors and guarded
like national security secrets. - A “leadership vacuum” where blame was passed around like party snacks
while genuine public safety concerns went unanswered. - As for transparency… the only thing transparent here was the Council’s
inability to manage a crisis without vanishing into a fog of half-truths,
procedural dodgeballs and “ask the Clerk” deflections.
Recommendations
- Immediate release of the Fireworks Review Report in full.
- Full independent investigation by the Monitoring Officer into decision-making
and procedural failures. - Mandatory compliance training for OTC councillors and staff on event safety,
governance, and public accountability. - Consideration of whether OTC is fit to act as an events organiser without external
oversight.
The Alternative Council 