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Business News Live Business
Guildford venue facing licensing attack after complaint from newish neighbours
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 20 June 2014
So, this is getting silly now. The Boileroom venue in Guildford is the latest grassroots gig venue facing the prospect of losing its licence because a newish neighbour – who chose to move into a property next to a performance space – has filed a complaint with the local council.
As previously reported, Night & Day in Manchester and The Blind Tiger in Brighton have experienced similar problems, leading to other small venues (and not so small, Ministry Of Sound is perhaps the highest profile) to fear any residential developments near their buildings, because they could result in new neighbours capable of shutting them down by making noise complaints to the local authority. Even though the venue came first.
Alongside a petition they have set up online, the operators of The Boilerroom write: “Our family run venue was opened in 2006, and is managed by a collective of people who believe the venue provides a much needed creative space for the local community; encouraging and supporting local bands and nurturing upcoming talent”.
“Our fairly new neighbours, who rent the house adjacent to the venue, have put in an application to review our license, with the direct intention and request that the council revoke our license with immediate effect. Their message is very clear: they want to shut us down. They believe we are in breach of our license conditions. We believe we manage the venue to a high standard with significant consideration for the local community”.
The petition goes on to note that The Boileroom routinely hosts events for local schools and charities, alongside free community events and matinees for under eighteens, and has always gone out of its way to abide by noise and event management rules, and to engage with the locals. So much so venue owner Dominique Frazer was presented with the Trude Adler award from the Noise Abatement Society in 2010.
It adds: “Situated in a residential area, from the outset we have always been very proactive and conscious that what we do does not adversely affect the lives of our local residents, to that end we have a great relationship with the majority of our neighbours. This review is being sought by two people”.
You can sign the petition in support of The Boileroom here. You can also still sign the separate petition calling on Secretary Of State For The Environment Owen Paterson to “carry out an urgent review of noise abatement legislation” which is threatening grass roots venues who enjoy good relations with the vast majority of their neighbours. That one is here.
