The Oxford City Council has pledged to restore the city’s South Park “as soon as the growing season permits.” The beloved park sustained significant damage to its grounds during its Bonfire Night fireworks display on 5 November last year. The Charity Fireworks Display, now in its 55th year, is organised by the Oxford Roundtable, which deemed November’s display a “great success.” In an announcement after the celebration, the Oxford Roundtable said that “more than 20,000 people attended and [they] were hoping to raise £50,000 for local charities.”
However, due to heavy rainfall in the week leading up to the event, the grounds had become overly saturated and particularly vulnerable to the heavy machinery used for the display. Locals noted that this was a usual occurrence after Bonfire Night and that they “have pleaded repeatedly with organisers” to ensure the ground is protected with sheeting – a policy reportedly rejected by the Oxford Round Table “on the grounds of cost.” One local even noted that the day after the celebration, lorries took surplus pallets to be burned on the remnants of the previous night’s bonfire, creating a “bonfire of the vanities.”
When approached for comment, Neil Holdstock, chairman of the Oxford Round Table, said he was “absolutely heartbroken” after being “bombarded [by a] small number of residents,” contrasted with mostly positive feedback. He noted that the group, entirely composed of volunteers, did not get paid to organise the event but “are doing everything they can… as they do every year” to repair the park grounds.
Despite a claim by Oxford Round Table Representative Christian Petersen that the areas affected “could have recovered by Christmas,” the wrecked grounds have continued to affect the park’s walkability throughout the winter period. Signs have been posted near the damaged areas to inform passersby of uneven, muddy ground.
In response to about 40 lodged complaints, the Oxford City Council launched an inspection of the grounds and announced that no long-term damage had been caused. However, it will be necessary to reseed and level areas of the park, which will be possible during the germination season in the spring; local stakeholders such as Friends of South Park and Oxford Preservation Trust will be kept informed of the restorations. The council has also revealed that the Oxford Round Table will fund the repair work, and they are in discussion with the group on how to best protect the park going forward while preserving the iconic Bonfire Night celebrations.
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of the Oxford City Council, stated: “South Park is one of the jewels in Oxford’s crown… After all the rain we’ve had, the heavy plant used to take stalls and the funfair on and off the site churned up the ground in a way we haven’t experienced before. There are lessons to be learned to prevent this happening in future. We will of course ensure the park is fully restored, as soon as the growing season permits.
“At this stage I don’t want to rule in or out any options. I will also ensure we engage with the wider Oxford community before any final decision is taken.”
