The Blackheath fireworks display has been scrapped for the fourth year running – with Lewisham Council saying that it cannot afford to bring the event back.
Up to 100,000 people used to attend the free display, which had been running since the 1980s and boosted trade in pubs and restaurants across a wide area.
But the last event was in 2019, and Lewisham said that bringing the display back was “not currently possible given the financial pressures facing the council”.
“After more than a decade of continued funding cuts from central government, we need to focus our limited financial resources on maintaining essential local services and supporting our most vulnerable residents,” the council said in a statement almost identical to one issued last year.
“We will continue exploring possible options for future displays and remain open to offers of sponsorship and external funding.”
The display had been jointly funded by Lewisham and Greenwich, the two councils which cover Blackheath. But Greenwich withdrew at short notice in 2010, leaving Lewisham to raise funds from residents and local businesses to make up the shortfall.
Greenwich came back on board as a sponsor in 2015, and paid £16,300 towards 2019’s display; but Lewisham was still left with a £15,554 shortfall on a £121,000 overall cost. The fireworks were put on by Emergency Exit Arts, a Greenwich-based company.
In 2019, this website revealed that Greenwich had tried to help its neighbour by brokering a sponsorship deal with London City Airport, but Lewisham refused because of the airport’s plans to expand – its flightpath runs over the borough and the council has objected to noise from its jets.
Austerity appears to have finally killed off mass free fireworks displays in London. Remaining displays in SE London are all paid-for events: they include Beckenham Rec, Bromley High School, Chislehurst Rotary Club, Danson Park, Dulwich Sports Club and Orpington Golf Centre.