One of Dundee's most prolific community groups has warned the city council not to dismiss the need for events within the city's distinct neighbourhoods after it siphoned off fireworks cash to spend on winter events.
The Stobswell Forum says it is "concerned and disappointed" at the decision to end the annual Baxter Park firework display, one of the most popular fixtures of the area's annual events calendar. Its chair Colin Clement says any money saved by not putting on the show should be reinvested in the same area, rather than poured into the city centre.
In a letter to SNP council leader John Alexander and city development convener Mark Flynn, Mr Clement said: "While the Forum understand the need to make the safety of the public the first priority in any decisions, we believe that hosting public free to enter events in the community are important to the wellbeing of all who live in Stobswell and surrounding areas."
Dundee Live previously reported that the decision was made to can the firework displays after city safety bosses deemed Baxter's evacuation routes unsuitable for an event hosting in excess of 20,000 people. Dundee City Council also pulled Lochee Park's display after concluding that it could not support a influx from Stobswell that would have taken the total crowd to more than 40,000 people.
It has filtered the £50,000 that would have been spent on the bonfires and pyrotechnics into a pot for an as-yet-unspecified winter events programme. Council bosses say the fireworks were not universally popular and their end was likely to be supported by those sensitive to noise or pet owners.
While he agrees with the notion that the money could be spent in a more "universally popular" manner, Mr Clement stressed that the money should go into providing free events for the city's more impoverished citizens and should avoid "excluding" the numerous communities in Dundee outside of the Waterfront.
According to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), a measure of how an area of Scotland is impoverished - the Maryfield ward that Stobswell calls home has higher rates of child poverty and crime than other parts of Dundee, as well as a very high proportion of low-quality flatted accomodation.
The community chair continued: "We note that there were comments made in the announcement about using any saved finance to enhance the festive celebration. While this in itself is positive in past years the council hosted events have been focused on the city centre and have had entry costs attached which will exclude many from attending who have limited disposable income.
"The Stobswell Forum are supportive of Dundee City Council’s efforts to improve the provision of events in the city centre but feel that more attention should be paid to the other areas of the city that may feel like that they are being excluded from the many exciting events the city now hosts."
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “The city development committee agreed on June 27 that the budget for the fireworks displays should be allocated to support other free events in the city, including the delivery of an enhanced winter programme. Details of this will be finalised in due course.”
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