THERE will be no big fireworks display in Chippenham this year.

The town’s Rotary Club has pulled out of the November firework display in Monkton Park , so the event has been cancelled.

It’ll be the first time in 40 years that the show will not go on. The organisers blame costs, Covid and the increasing complexity of putting on the event.

“Quite apart from the question mark which must hang over events such as this due to the current Covid 19 crisis, the increasing costs of compliance with Health and Safety requirements.

“Add to that the increasing number of volunteer stewards needed, the extra costs each year of equipment hire and the fireworks themselves, as well as the unpredictability of the weather, has meant that organizing the show has become simply too expensive,” said chairman Rick Squires.

The news has been met with weary resignation by the town’s Mayor, councillor Teresa Hutton.

“Obviously, this is a huge disappointment for the town, but not unexpected,” she said. “But then, in terms of events, the whole year has been a huge disappointment.

“It is a big operation at the best of times to put on with all the rules and regulations, plus all the extra work involved making people safe.

“The year has been a bit of a write off, so let’s hope 2021 will be better.”

The news follows a controversial display last year, in which a golf club owner said his club house was in danger of catching fire after burning shards of fireworks landed on the roof on during a Rotary display.

Club owner Peter Claridge said friends he had left in charge of the premises were so worried that the club house was going to catch fire they remonstrated with the firework organisers.

Firework organiser Richard Terrell dismissed the idea that the fireworks were causing danger

Mr Terrell said: “We had a full risk and health and safety assessment carried out by a professional company.

“There was no danger to the golf club but they came into the safety zone and so we had to suspend the fireworks between 7.10pm and 8.30pm. They refused to leave the area but eventually were persuaded to go out by someone from the town council and so we could re-start the fireworks.”

The Rotary Club was not available to comment on whether this incident had loaded their decision to pull from this year’s event.

The Chippenham Rotary Club has been working in the local community for the last 70 years and has organised many other successful fund-raising events over the years - from concerts to golf days, horse rides to jumble sales.

It has raised funds from these “thanks to the support and generosity of local people and businesses.”