A Felixstowe football club chairman as confirmed the town's Firework Spectacular will not be going ahead in November, and has been cancelled for the third year in a row.

Uncertainty over a potential ban on fireworks displays on East Suffolk Council land has been given as the main reason, with organisers at Felixstowe and Walton United not feeling confident in making the arrangements.

However, an East Suffolk cabinet member has dismissed the concerns and claims the football club were told in August they should go ahead with the firework display at Dellwood Avenue.

Chris Daynes, the event organiser and joint club chairman said in a statement: "Early this year, East Suffolk Council launched a public consultation about firework displays on their land, including a potential ban. Felixstowe & Walton United Football Club lease Dellwood Avenue from ESC and is therefore affected by the result of the consultation and the subsequent decision.

"An event of this size takes many months of planning and preparation, usually starting in February. The uncertainty surrounding the result of the consultation made it impossible to undertake any organisation in advance, or risk the outlay of club funds, should a ban or major restrictions be put in place."

"The public consultation ended in late May, but it took, despite my best efforts, until mid-August (10 weeks before the scheduled event date) to receive confirmation that any decision resulting from the consultation would not be made prior to November, and we could therefore proceed with an application to hold the event on council land."

"However, an event application of this scale takes many weeks to go through the relevant safety authorities before we can receive permission to go ahead with the event, with no advertising of the event allowed until permission is granted. Time simply ran out to organise this years display."

But Cllr James Mallinder, the council's cabinet member for the environment, said there event could have gone ahead.

He said: "There is absolutely no reason from the council's perspective as to why this event should not go ahead whilst a decision about the rules for future firework displays on council-owned land is still being considered. 

"In early August, we advised the event organisers that our existing policy - which permits firework displays as part of events held on council-owned land - has not yet changed and that if changes are introduced, events already planned for this year would not be affected. 

"In light of this, we suggested they continue with the plans for their event in November." 

The traditional public fireworks display had been an annual event but due to the pandemic had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021.

More than 1,000 people responded to the East Suffolk Council's survey after concerns had been raised about firework events on council-owned land, due to animal welfare and environmental issues.