Gunnersbury Live Concerts Heard Over Wide Area
Residents bombard noise complaints line with calls
Rufus du Sol performing live. Picture: Fifth Legend
A significant number of residents across Ealing, Chiswick, Brentford and Acton have said that they were disturbed by noise coming from the Gunnersbury Live event held this Saturday (20 August).
A concert featuring a number of electronic acts headlined by Australian Trio RÜFÜS DU SOL started with sound checks in the morning and bands started playing in the afternoon with the music audible until after 10pm.
People living up to 3 miles away said that they could hear the bass from the sound systems and those in the immediate vicinity of Gunnersbury Park described it as unbearable.
This Sunday there will be another concert billed as Electric City featuring Chase & Status.
The events this year are smaller in scale than those held previously at Gunnersbury Park such as Lovebox. There is now just a single stage and capacity has been reduced from 40,000 to 20,000 after complaints from neighbours about noise, litter and anti-social behaviour.
The Saturday event was due to finish by 10.30pm and the park cleared by 11pm but people living in the area said noise associated with the event continued until after midnight. Bus and train strikes were taking place meaning that those attending the concert found it difficult to get transport when they were leaving.
Through the day people were complaining about the noise on social media and local councillor Jo Biddolph who represents Chiswick Gunnersbury ward in the London Borough of Hounslow, where the park is situated, shared details of how complaints could be raised leading to a significant number of calls.
To contact the organisers over issues that occur during the concerts you can call 020 3475 2697 or email Gunnersbury.locals@festivalrepublic.com. Leaflets were sent to residents in the streets around the park before the concerts, but the number given for complaints was incorrect.
There have been complaints previously about noise coming from large scale events at Gunnersbury Park but no action has ever been reported against event organisers for breaching noise guidelines. Hounslow Council bases its policy on the Code of Practice on Environmental Noise Control at Concerts (1995) which stipulates that the music noise level should not exceed 75dB(A) over a 15 minute period. It is not known if any measurements were made of noise levels during the concert on Saturday.
Gunnersbury Park’s publish Outdoor Events Policy states, “Noise from an event must be kept at a reasonable level and must not cause an unreasonable nuisance to local residents within close proximity of Gunnersbury Park. Events that utilise the CIC’s existing premises licence must adhere to the sound level limit conditions attached to the Licence; noise level monitoring may be required in order to ensure such compliance. At all times organisers must comply with LBH’s Environmental Health Representatives and the Venue Manager. It may be required to meet in advance with Environmental Health officers so that specific volume levels and locations of monitoring points can be agreed.
“Event organisers failing to keep to reasonable noise limits risk the complete or partial loss of deposit and will not be permitted to host their event within Gunnersbury Park again.”
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