Cornwall residents object to Boardmasters' planned decibel limit increase

Residents and local business owners in Cornwall are objecting against plans from Boardmasters Festival to increase its decibel limit. 

According to BBC News, the Newquay-based festival submitted plans to the local council to extend its music programming across five days for this year's event - which will run from Wednesday, August 5 until Sunday, August 9 - with hopes for the festival to run until 4:AM through the weekend.

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The application includes a request to increase the upper decibel limit from 60 to 65 decibels before 11:PM, and 50 to 55 decibels until closing.

Boardmasters Director Rob Spring claimed the changes will ensure the festival can maintain "customer experience at levels expected of major international festivals, without creating a nuisance for neighbours", Cornwall Live reports.

However, local residents and business owners have written to Cornwall Council to object against the proposed changes, with representatives from Newquay Council claiming it's "highly likely to increase the noise nuisance generated by the festival".

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William Ashworth - the owner of the Watergate Hotel, which is nearby Boardmasters' Trebelsue Farm site - told Cornwall Live: "What was already an impactful event will become significantly more so on our businesses, local residents and other local businesses, particularly campsites that are not part of Boardmasters." 

"The application also seeks to include an additional day (Thursdays) for live music. We do not object to this in principle, but with the proposed additional decibel levels applied to Thursday too, it will exasperate the impact," he continues. "This is a period of night when many residents and visitors will be trying to sleep and it will therefore be impactful."

[Via: BBC News]

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