No More Fireworks at Chiswick Business Park
Management 'forced to consider' environmental impact
A previous display at Chiswick Business Park. Picture: Enjoy Work
October 14, 2024
The management of Chiswick Business Park has confirmed that it will not be hosting a fireworks display this year.
In a statement is said that it had considered ‘a multitude of factors’ and that it had been ‘forced to consider how fireworks sit against our ESG credentials’. ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance.
The annual display was first held in 2005 and was offered by the business development at no cost. By 2018 it was estimated that up to 30,000 people were attending as it was rated as one of the best displays in west London. At the same time other local displays were no longer being held or were significantly increasing entry prices.
Concerns about the event rose in 2019 with residents highlighting a lack of safety and security and people climbing through hedges to get to the event.
Although the event remained free, by 2021 ticketing had been introduced to try and manage numbers. Last year, local residents complained that there were no tickets available as it was believed that numbers had been limited and most had been allocated to people working at the park. Some of these tickets were being resold for as much as £20 online although they proved to be worthless when the event was cancelled due to poor weather.
Chiswick Park Enjoy–Work says it has been considering the future of the event since the 2023 display was called off. Issues such as the wider park impact, the unpredictability of the weather, impact on wildlife, the local community and sustainability of these types of events were factors in its decision to end the event.
One environmental issue that is being increasingly raised about fireworks is that they contain oxidisers known as perchlorates which can dissolve in water, contaminating rivers, lakes and drinking water. They also send up a cocktail of chemicals and metallic compounds such as barium and aluminium into the atmosphere with potential negative consequences for air quality. The management says that these issues were important in the decision to axe the fireworks.
Its statement continues, “When we considered these factors together, we concluded that hosting a display is at odds with our place in the community and as custodians of the park.
“Whilst we appreciate that this will be disappointing to some of you, we will be bringing an accessible and inclusive end of year celebration to the park. Our aim is to not replace the fireworks like for like, but to give our guests and community the chance to engage with the park over a longer period, to try some new activities and enjoy some festive fayre.”
A new event is to be held in November at Chiswick Business Park which it is promised will be “a different but equally excellent programme” details of which are to be released soon.
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