Council defers decision to allow background music to played at Margate LGBT+ bar

Sundowners want to play cocktail music, but Thanet District Council has concerns it might impact neighbours' peace

Transcript

00:00Almost 40 people packed into Fannock District Council's public gallery last night.

00:06They're here supporting the application for sundowners to play background music on this terrace.

00:13But that bid has been recommended for refusal, leaving staff and punters at the LGBTQ plus bar miffed.

00:21It is important to consider the fact that to have amplified music on the deck

00:25could be considered to have increased potential user attraction to the venue.

00:31However, obviously you've seen the comments of Environmental Health in the report,

00:34which do raise strong concerns with any music, even at background noise level, on that terrace.

00:41There is no sound mitigation at all. It is open.

00:45Even if there was mitigation by forms of a structure or a barrier,

00:49it will still be open at the top and also a structure itself would be problematic.

00:53The application for a single speaker saw huge support, with most of the objections coming from neighbours.

01:00To allow amplified music to be played on the terrace deck for any hours, days or months of the year

01:05would quite simply be incompatible with the adjoining residential land uses in Albert Terrace.

01:11It would represent an inappropriate, unably and wholly unacceptable form of development.

01:16The decision now lies in the hands of these councillors.

01:20For sundowners to play their music on the sun deck is their choice.

01:26The residents don't get a choice. They've got to listen to it.

01:30There could be a balance to be struck.

01:34And I think that balance to be struck is for the sound level to be at a certain level.

01:43I just think it has an intolerable effect on residents.

01:48They've lived through it already and at whatever level I think it will be very, very difficult for them

01:55just to get on and live their lives.

01:58And I think there's an incredible amount you can do to diffuse the sound

02:01by some reasonable planting between the houses on the top side of that development,

02:07which would break that noise up.

02:09The committee decided to defer the decision to a later date,

02:13allowing the seafront barn to come back with more details on what music they'll be playing

02:18and how loud that will be.

02:20Gabriel Morris in Margate.