A popular and historic fireworks display in a pretty Norfolk village will not go ahead this year amid new and complicated health and safety regulations ushered in by anti-terror laws. The display, which attracts hundreds of people to Blakeney each year, has been cancelled after organisers deemed it too “complex” in the wake of legislation requiring improved security at public events. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, became law in April.
Its requirements – which are tiered depending on venue size – include increased CCTV and bag-search policies, and have been criticised as overly restrictive, especially for community-run occasions. “Running such a large event is becoming more complex, with new safety and legal requirements, including Martyn’s Law coming in, limited staffing and not enough volunteers to cover all the roles,” a spokesperson for Blakeney Parish Council said, explaining the fireworks’ cancellation.
“Such a shame but these new laws are very tricky, and difficulty with volunteers [also] makes it more difficult,” one resident said. “Let’s hope more people come forward to help.”
Others dubbed the cancellation “ridiculous”, suggesting that such staples of the local calendar shouldn’t be subjected to such rigorous “health and safety” standards.
“I do think it’s a shame, but it is what it is,” a councillor told the Eastern Daily Press. “It was a huge thing for the village, it’s been a very popular event which brings in a lot of people and everyone looks forward to it.”
Martyn’s Law was drafted following a campaign by the Manchester attack victim’s father, Figen Murray, and requires organisers to put “appropriate public protection measures” in place to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks.
A 150-year-old flower show in Shropshire was similarly cancelled in August after organisers decided it wouldn’t be feasible to balance rising costs with increased security measures.
Businesses in Shrewsbury said they were left substantially out of pocket by the last-minute cancellation, and had been counting on the two-day event to bring a raft of new customers to the market town.
Community Action Norfolk (CAN) warned in a post on its website that community facilities including village halls and parks would need to develop “‘proportional’ plans to respond in the event of a terrorist attack” under the legislation.
A spokesperson for West Norfolk Council said: “The council has been planning for the introduction of Martyn’s Law for some time. As a result, we have made changes to our own event plans where appropriate, for example our traffic management plans.
“As a lead member in the local safety advisory group, we are also in a position to advise others who approach us on safety management issues.”
