Hackney Council denies license for silent disco over "noise complaints"
Dalston's Recycle Vinyl was denied permission to hold an event due to previous complaints of alleged "loud DJ parties" at the store
Hackney Council has denied a record store permission to host a silent disco over the potential for "noise complaints" from neighbours.
According to The Standard, Dalston's Recycle Vinyl was told by councillors last week (July 15) that it would not be able to host an event within a former nursery playground behind the store, due to previous noise complaints against the store.
Recycle Vinyl originally applied for permission to host its Vinyl Bitch day party on Saturday (July 19), for up to 150 people from 12:PM to 9:PM.
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This application was denied due to a recent event, in which organisers had not communicated that there would be DJs playing music in the outdoor area — leading to a number of noise complaints. Recycle Vinyl then offered to change the event to a silent disco, with music only being played in the outdoor area via headphones.
“I can't see how 150 people jumping around in someone's back garden is not going to cause a public nuisance for neighbours during the day,” PC Hunwick said. Mr Smith later offered to cap attendees at 80 people, scrap the “entertainment” altogether and just use the former play area as a beer garden.
However, both Hackney Council and the Metropolitan Police recommended Recycle Vinyl should not be granted a license, with a representative for the Met insisting that "150 people jumping around in someones garden" will cause "a nuisance".
While Recycle Vinyl had tried again to change the event to an 80-capacity party, with the outdoor area only being used as a "beer garden", this was still denied. Hackney Council ruled that it would only consider the first application for the event.
Council documents reveal that neighbours had complained to Hackney Town Hall during the last event thrown by Recycle Vinyl on the playground, believing "an unlicensed music event was taking place - it was that loud". Police officers later turned up to the party as a result of the complaints.
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Owner Robert Smith apologised following the event, insisting that it had been a "misunderstanding" that led to the store not alerting the licensing committee of its intention to play music.
However, he alleged that "one resident" had been behind the majority of the complaints, rallying local residents to contact the council over “five days before the event took place".
[Via: The Standard]
Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter