Licensee fights council in noise row

A London licensee has made a plea for support in his fight against a council over noise.

Jamie Dillon, who owns Austin's Bar in Colne Road, Twickenham, was served a noise abatement notice by Richmond Upon Thames Council last summer after a neighbour complained about noise in the beer garden.

Mr Dillon appealed against the decision but Richmond magistrates dismissed this last week, finding that a statutory noise nuisance had been caused.

"This has serious implications for the trade," said Mr Dillon. "I'm not sure brewers are taking it seriously. If we don't fight it every crank who lives near a pub will believe they can take their complaint to the council and win."

The council claimed that the noise levels were too high after sending officers to monitor the bar.

But Mr Dillon has claimed that very little research was carried out to substantiate this claim.

He said: "An officer came down to the pub and simply listened, I didn't see any equipment being used to monitor the sound.

"What the council is saying is that there should be no talking or laughing in the garden. It also expects us to stop the cheering if football is on.

"I'm going to take this through the High Court but need people in the trade to back me up because if the council wins it will have disastrous ramifications for all of us."

The council stated trained officers were at the bar on three occasions before the abatement notice was served.

Richmond Council's cabinet member for environment and planning, Cllr David Marlow, said: "These premises are in the middle of a residential area and the noise levels witnessed by the council were completely unacceptable to people living nearby.

"We take noise problems extremely seriously and will fight to protect residents' right to a good night's sleep.

"We ask owners of commercial premises and residents alike to consider their neighbours."