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Music Venue Trust calls for review of noise abatement laws
By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 29 May 2014
A newish organisation called the Music Venue Trust has launched a petition calling on the Secretary Of State For The Environment Owen Paterson to “carry out an urgent review of noise abatement legislation”, after concerns that long-standing gig venues could face closure because of a small number of noise complaints.
As previously reported, both Night & Day in Manchester and The Blind Tiger in Brighton have run into problems after their respective local councils received complaints from local residents about noise. In both cases it has been alleged that the complaints have come from people who have relatively recently moved into properties near the venues, raising the question why would you choose to live in a street famous for its live music, and then complain about the noise?
Scenarios such as these have resulted in venue owners becoming super concerned when flash new property developments occur near their premises, fearing that a bunch of new neighbours will move in, likely attracted by the neighbourhood’s cultural credentials, but then start complaining when the music doesn’t stop at 10pm every night. And, critics say, it only takes a couple of complaints for councils to step in, even though you might say there should be a ‘first come, first heard’ system.
Owners of popular Bristol venue The Fleece just this week launched a petition in the city to try and stop an office block across the road from their space from being turned into flats, fearing future noise complaint issues. And, of course, it’s not just smaller gig venues that fear licensing problems if new neighbours move in, the Ministry Of Sound fighting a long battle to ensure a new property development next to its South London HQ wouldn’t result in noise abatement orders down the line.
Explaining its petition, the Music Venue Trust writes: “The Music Venue Trust believes that venues should be good neighbours, engaging with their local communities and addressing concerns around noise and anti-social behaviour. But we believe that being a good neighbour is a reciprocal process, and that people who choose to live near to community spaces are accepting the responsibility to behave as a good neighbour to their adjoining music venue, church or community space; anywhere it is inevitable and should be acceptable that noise will exist. We believe this is a common sense approach – if you hate sport, why move next to a football pitch? If you hate music, why move next to a live music venue?”
Find out more about the campaign here and sign the petition here.
