Agenda item

The Director of Planning and Building Control provided the details of the application which was before the Committee due to an objection having been received from a local resident in relation to the renewal of the 6-day Annual Indoor Entertainments Licence for the Shaftesbury Bowling and Recreation Club.  She outlined the history of the licence renewal process, including previous objections and resolutions.

The Committee was advised that the objection primarily concerned noise disturbances caused by loud music, particularly on Tuesday evenings and occasionally on weekends. The resident had claimed that the noise, including loud bass music and open windows during events, had negatively impacted their family’s health and well-being, causing disrupted sleep for young children. The objector had expressed dissatisfaction with the club’s efforts to address the concerns, stating that the club prioritised entertainment over the comfort of nearby residents. The objector had declined further liaison meetings, citing no new developments in their complaint.

The Members were advised that the applicant had responded to the objection by detailing measures taken to mitigate any disturbances, including reducing noise levels, turning off bass music, monitoring sound levels outside the hall, lining doors facing residential areas, and locking windows that faced nearby homes. Despite those efforts, the objector maintained that the noise remained disruptive and that they believed the club had not taken their concerns seriously.  The applicant had stated that they had no additional measures to propose beyond those already implemented.

The Director drew the Committee’s attention to noise complaints which had received by the Council’s Nighttime Noise Team during the previous licence period (February 2024 to January 2025) and the current licence period (February 2025 to November 2025). During the previous period, 17 complaints had been received.  However, most were either unsubstantiated or deemed not unreasonable for the time of day.  In the current period, 10 complaints had been received, with verbal warnings issued on three occasions due to witnessed noise levels.  The Members were advised that dance classes held at the venue did not require an Entertainments Licence, but that musical entertainment provided after the classes did.

            Due to technical difficulties in getting the objector to join the hybrid meeting, the Committee agreed to hear from the secretary of the Bowling Club, Ms. N. Hayden, first.

            Ms. Hayden was welcomed to the meeting and she outlined that the complaints focused on the dance classes which took place at the Club on a Tuesday evening between 7.00pm and approximately 10.30pm, with the hall emptying shortly after that time.  She stated that the Club comprised 80 members, 65 of whom were pensioners.  She explained that they had endeavoured to do their best not to make noise for the neighbours and that the Club members were very much part of the surrounding community.  The Members were advised that 10-12 letters of support for the club had been received from within the community.  She stated that they had triple glazing on one side of the building and double glazing on another, with extra soundproofing on the fire door nearest the neighbours.  She explained that, upon receiving a noise complaint at one event, she stopped the live band, which included a drum kit, at 10.30pm.  She outlined a number of measures which the club had taken to mitigate against any noise emanating from the hall and that they were at a loss at what else they could do to minimise noise.  The Members were advised that they had offered to send a noise engineer into a neighbouring property to measure the sound level but that the resident had declined.

            The Chairperson then welcomed the objector, who wished to remain anonymous, to the meeting. They advised the Committee that their complaints related to persistent noise, namely loud music, coming from the Club on Tuesday evenings, and occasionally on weekend evenings, and that the Club had unfortunately not addressed the issue despite reasonable requests from residents.  They stated that the noise was in breach of Council guidelines.  They stated that they had met with a Council officer and the Bowling Club in November 2022, whereupon it had been agreed that the Club would:

(i)            submit an acoustic report on the suitability of its premises;

(ii)           ensure that windows were closed when playing loud music; and

(iii)          not use live drum kits. 

He stated that those outcomes had not been met by the Bowling Club.  He reported that the Club had been given nine verbal warnings regarding noise over the past number of years.  He provided an example of a drum kit having been used at the Club on the evening of Friday, 17th October, 2025, approximately 4 metres from residential properties with young children living in them.  He added that previous complainants had shied away from formally objecting again due to a number of disparaging social media comments which had been posted after a previous meeting where the Bowling Club’s licence had been under consideration.

            In response to a Member’s question, the objector explained that, following the meeting in November 2022, where a number of outcomes had been agreed but were subsequently not adhered to, he did not feel that there was any merit in meeting with the Club again.

            In response to a further Member’s query regarding the social media posts which he had mentioned, the objector confirmed that they could still be viewed online.

            In response to a further Member’s query, the objector stated that, in response to a Freedom of Information Request, there had been nine verbal warnings issued to the Club since the meeting in 2022.

            The objector confirmed that the issues related to noise emanating from the premises predominantly on Tuesday evenings, and not from Bowling events.

            In response to further queries around the times of the noise complaints, the Director confirmed that officers did not hold any further information than what was within the report, as the complaints from the Noise Team were subject to General Data Protection Regulation.

Proposal

            Moved by Councillor Bunting,

            Seconded by Alderman Rodgers,

      That, as the dance classes do not run on past 11pm; there had only been three verbal warnings in the past year; and that mitigations had been put in place by the Club to reduce noise where possible, the Committee agrees to renew the 6-Day Annual Entertainments Licence, given the importance of the club to the local community.

            In response to a further Member’s query, the Solicitor confirmed that verbal warnings were the lowest level of warning available.

            In response to a further Member’s query, Ms. Hayden explained that they had been denied access to a resident’s property in order for a sound engineer to take a sound reading.  She added that someone at the club could always be contacted by the neighbours, if required, and that she regularly stood outside the Club to monitor the sound levels from the building. 

She further explained that the Club had explored the cost of carrying out an acoustic survey but that it was likely to cost approximately £2,500, which was a significant expense for a small club.

A further Member stated that, given no further action was taken by the Council regarding the 27 noise complaints within the last two years, the Committee should consider how much weight to attribute to them.

A Member stated that local sports clubs were struggling and that an expensive acoustic survey was unnecessary.  A further Member added that there would always be some noise coming from a licenced premises and that the Club had clearly taken action to manage the noise.

In response to a Member’s question, the Director confirmed that, if granted, the licence would be granted for one year.

            After discussion, the Committee agreed the proposal standing in the name of Councillor Bunting and approved the application for the renewal of the 6-Day Annual Entertainments Licence for Shaftesbury Bowling Club.