CONTROVERSY over the cancellation of the fireworks finale to the Battle of Flowers has rumbled on, with organisers demanding an explanation from Ports of Jersey about the decision to block the display that led to a loss of £8,000.
Martyn Maguire, chair of the Battle of Flowers Association, said frustration over the situation had prompted him to share correspondence with Ports of Jersey in the wake of decision to cancel the display, which would have seen fireworks set off from a barge in St Aubin’s Bay at the conclusion of the Moonlight Parade.
Mr Maguire said he had not received a clear answer from Harbourmaster William Sadler about the exact advice issued by the Fire and Rescue Service last week, and why Ports of Jersey had deemed the risk assessment carried out by Starburst Fireworks to be inadequate.
The Association has also criticised the late decision over whether the display could go ahead or not.
“The dry conditions weren’t anything new, so we don’t know why concerns could not have been raised sooner, before we became liable for the cost of the fireworks,” Mr Maguire said. “It’s a lot of money for a not-for-profit organisation and I think Ports should offer to compensate us.”
Mr Maguire said he also considered it unfair that the Battle display had been blocked, while the finale to tonight’s Gorey Fete has been allowed to go ahead.
“We’ve been told that the Gorey display is being set off from outside the harbour limits, but don’t see why that alone should mean that none of the stringent restrictions apply – it’ll be the same type of fireworks from the same type of barge,” he said.
Responding to the comments made by the Association, Mr Sadler pointed out that Ports of Jersey had maintained regular engagement with Starburst, with the decision to cancel formally communicated on the morning of Wednesday 12 August.
He said: “At that time, Jersey was experiencing one of the driest summers on record and the Fire Index had reached its highest classification – extreme.
“We consulted a number of relevant agencies and stakeholders to understand the conditions and associated risks before reaching a decision, which was not taken lightly.”
Mr Sadler added: “We fully recognise the professionalism, planning and expertise that goes into delivering a fireworks display safely, and throughout the process the likelihood of an incident occurring was considered to be very low.
“Our concern was the potential consequence of an incident, however unlikely, during a period of exceptional fire risk and the impact this could have had on the Island’s emergency response capability.
“Starburst was advised that the permit could still be reconsidered if written assurance could be provided by the Fire Service confirming that, despite the exceptional conditions, the consequences of any incident remained within their capacity to manage.”
Mr Sadler concluded: “We understand why people were disappointed. The Battle of Flowers fireworks display was an important part of the event, and we recognise the significant effort, planning had gone into it.”
Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles has been approached by Mr Maguire in a bid to get clarity. “We need to resolve this to stop the risk of it happening again in the future,” he said.
Senator Miles said earlier this month that she was seeking to update the Island’s Explosives Law, and intended to start a public consultation before the end of 2026.
- It was confirmed yesterday that the necessary permissions had been given to allow the Gorey Fete display to proceed as scheduled tonight. The fireworks are due to start at 10.30pm.
