PLANS for "silent fireworks" displays in place of the country's biggest pyrotechnic displays like Edinburgh's Hogmanay and the Military Tattoo would lack the thrill factor for the crowd, a report has found.
The report to go before councillors at Edinburgh City Council next week stated displays such as laser shows "lack the big bang, literally and figuratively".
Emeritus Professor Dr John Conkling, the former director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on pyrotechnics, was quoted in the report.
He said: “Because they do not include big aerial explosions, quiet shows cannot entertain a large audience.”
The report to go to the council next week also stated: “The public who attend large-scale fireworks displays expect to hear explosions and loud bangs as part of the experience, and these add to the sense of occasion and celebration which organisers endeavour to create.”
Councillor Joanna Mowat asked the council to consider the use of silent pyrotechnics and the impact of fireworks on those living nearby.
There were 11 complaints in 2016.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had four complaints and the Royal Yacht Britannia displays two, with the Edinburgh International Festival and Hogmanay firework displays having one
complaint each, and the others related to fireworks from an unknown origin.
The report stated: "A fireworks display which comprised solely of 'quiet' fireworks would be limited in height, and therefore in the range from which people could view it.
"It would also be of reduced impact in terms of the drama and spectacle that people associate with large-scale firework displays, and the expectations that contemporary audiences bring to such shows.
"Laser and lighting displays were used to augment the 2016 Hogmanay fireworks display in the city, but there are no plans to consider using them to replace fireworks entirely."
It continued: "They rely on cloud cover for their effect, and they lack the ‘big bang’ literally and figuratively of an aerial fireworks display.
"They are also not a cheap option, costing about the same as an equivalent fireworks display."
The report also found there was no impact on the Edinburgh Castle rock faces, there are a small percentage of the population who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, hyper-sensitivity, or a phobia but for whom pre-planned displays are less problematic, and there's a "wealth of helpful information on the internet readily available to pet-owners to help them minimise any distress which might arise from exposure to fireworks displays".
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