Councillors Approve Process For Creation Of Firework Control Zones
5th September 2024
A process for responding to community requests for the creation of Firework Control Zones in The Highland Council area has been approved by Members of the Communities and Place Committee.
The option of using a Firework Control Zone is one of the tools available to respond to serious firework misuse and the Council will work with communities and key partners to consider appropriate and proportional response to local firework issues.
Chair of Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Graham MacKenzie explained, "I commend officers for the development of this new process which will enable the Council to comply with Scottish Government legislation and also facilitate community groups to respond to local needs where they feel that creation of a Firework Control Zone is required
“The process for community groups to request Fireworks Controls Zones in Highland has been developed with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland and they will continue to be consulted on any applications received. Local communities and relevant organisations will also have the opportunity to comment on requests for Fireworks Control Zones with the final decision on designation of a zone being made by Highland Councillors at Area Committees."
He added: “The Highlands haven't had the major issues of anti-social firework misuse such as seen in a few Scottish towns last year. The Council has had a long partnership over many years with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland supporting the existence of annual council and community organised bonfire and firework displays to help to ensure public safety. Along with our partners we will continue to encourage attendance at public fireworks displays.”
Last year, the Fireworks and Pyrotechnics (Scotland) Act 2022 came into force in Scotland which gave discretionary powers to local authorities to designate a place within its area as a Firework Control Zone.
It is a criminal offence for the public to ignite ‘designated’ fireworks, including on private properties and gardens within a Firework Control Zone. Police Scotland is responsible for enforcing offences related to the illegal use of fireworks within Firework Control Zones. The maximum penalties for offences are £5,000 or 6 months imprisonment.
Community requests for the designation of a Firework Zone can be made by a community group but not from individuals, however complaints about antisocial behaviour concerning fireworks can be made by individuals and reported to Police Scotland by telephoning 101 or 999 depending on severity. Concerns about underage sales, unlicensed trading and illegal fireworks can be reported to the Council’s Trading Standards service.
The application process for community groups to apply for a Firework Control Zone will be published on the Council’s website www.highland.gov.uk in due course.
‘Designated’ fireworks for which it would be a criminal offence to ignite in a Firework Control Zone include categories F2, F3 and F4 under the Act. Category F1 fireworks - which are indoor or close proximity fireworks with minimal safety distances, including sparklers, novelty items, indoor fireworks, and party poppers – will still be permitted within Firework Control Zones subject to any other legal controls.
“Category F1 firework” means a firework which presents a very low hazard and negligible noise level and which is intended for use in confined areas, including a firework which is intended for use inside domestic buildings,
“Category F2 firework” means a firework which presents a low hazard and low noise level and which is intended for outdoor use in confined areas,
“Category F3 firework” means a firework which presents a medium hazard, which is intended for outdoor use in large open areas and whose noise level is not harmful to human health,
“Category F4 firework” means a firework which presents a high hazard, which is intended for use only by persons with specialist knowledge and whose noise level is not harmful to human health.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Wick Business Park has welcomed wind energy technology company ENERCON as the first occupant of one of four new units completed last year. ENERCON specialises in designing, producing, installing and servicing onshore wind turbines and has been operating in the Caithness area since 2013.
Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use. The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG) met in June 2025 and considered and agreed funding for 28 projects submitted to the Community-Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) programme. CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by The Highland Council.
Highland Council has provided 12 ‘Talking Tub' resources for use in primary schools across the Highlands, in partnership with Union Technical who deliver community benefits as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme programme. Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: "This is a fantastic initiative being rolled out across Highland primary schools which brings innovation and inspiration to early years children.
Visitors will find it easier to dispose of their litter at several popular spots across Highland after the rollout of additional bins. The rollout has been planned to support the tourism season as part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve and support sustainable tourism in the area.
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement. In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.
A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands. At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD).
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.
The Highland Council will deliver a transformative programme of energy efficiency upgrades across Council housing supported by a £9.2 million Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding proposal secured by Union Technical. The funding proposal will deliver approximately 1,000 individual energy efficiency measures to Council owned properties across the Highlands.
As part of the Highland Council's celebration of Refugee Week - 16 to 22 June - we are delighted to announce that a sharing of photographs, taken by separated young people seeking asylum living within the Highlands, is to be shown at Eden Court Arts Centre, Inverness. Look to See, which ties in with the theme for this year’s Refugee Week - Community as a Superpower - emerges out of a collaboration between multiple agencies working alongside separated young people seeking asylum, embodying the importance of community and connection, when looking to support all young people in the Highlands.