Andy Burnham has defended the cancellation of Manchester’s public fireworks display this year — despite spending millions on an arts centre ‘most won’t visit’, it’s claimed. It was confirmed earlier this week Manchester council again won’t mark November 5, having last celebrated Bonfire Night in 2019. The authority says it ‘reprioritised’ budgets for supporting and enhancing ‘the delivery of a wide range of free, community focused activities in parks across the city’.
The decision sparked anger among some , with one resident saying: “Now youths are going to be throwing fireworks all over the place! Better to have displays and nowhere selling to the public as then it's in controlled areas.” The Manchester Evening News’ Emma Gill has also questioned if ‘those making the decisions know just how much they're taking away’. READ MORE: We can't afford Bonfire Night, but spent millions on an arts venue most people won't visit Council chiefs have also come under fire recently for the renovation of the Town Hall going £76 million , or 21 percent, over-budget.
But the Greater Manchester Mayor has leapt to the council’s defence on both counts, saying each project will deliver a return on their investment. When asked why the council put ‘just under £100 million’ into the development of city centre arts complex Aviva Studios ahead of fireworks on BBC Radio Manchester, Mr Burnham replied: “You need to look at what the city has become..
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