UK takes Australian lead to protect music venues

Image: James Bay at Hordern Pavilion

The UK Government has taken the lead from Australia for new laws passed this week to protect independent music venues, which are closing at an alarming rate.

From April 6, local planning authorities across the country have to consider the impact of noise from established music venues on new developments before they give permission. Property developers have to be responsible for sound proofing new buildings built in areas where a music venue exists.

This is adopted from the Agent of Change law passed in Victoria in 2014, and which had been lobbied for by the state’s peak music association Music Victoria and lobby groups SLAM (SaveLive Music Australia) and FairGo4LiveMusic.

Agent of Change protects venues by turning the onus of dealing with live music noise from the existing music venue to new arrivals and property developers.

Victoria was the first in the world where an entire state adopted the Agent of Change, rather than just on a street-by-street basis implemented by some cities around the world. Queensland and South Australia also have First Occupancy rules although these are weaker than Agent of Change.

Last year, Music Victoria’s Melbourne-based CEO Patrick Donovan met with UK Music Venue Trust, which was set up in January 2014 to protect venues, and industry-backed lobby group UK Music, in London and Brighton to discuss how the Victorian live music industry had worked with the Government to initiate protection for music venues. Both associations were instrumental in last year lobbying the UK Government for making changes.

Donovan was also interviewed by the BBC, The Guardian and The Huffington Post on the issue.

Donovan told TMN, “We are heartened that Victoria has shown the lead, and been able to assist one of the great music cities in the world like London.”

UK venues face the same problems of those in inner city Australia – new residents and developers moving into these areas and creating problems for existing venues.

Under the new laws, UK developers who in recent years have not had to go through the full planning system in certain circumstances, no longer have that advantage. “Developers are now required to seek prior approval on noise impacts before a change of use from an office to residential building can be carried out.

Mark Davyd of the UK Music Venue Trust hailed the legislation as a “breakthrough for the UK’s grassroots music venues”.

He added, “This common sense move by the government provides an opportunity for local authorities to use their powers to ensure that live music continues to play a vital economic, cultural and social role in our towns and cities.”

The Trust has estimated that 35% of venues have closed since 2007 in London alone from development, noise or planning issues. The figure was 50% of clubs in Bristol, once a creative hub which launched Massive Attack and Portishead.

Jo Dipple, CEO of UK Music reckons, “If these new regulations have the desired effect, grassroots venues around the U.K. will have additional powers to help them survive and prosper.”

According to UK Music data, live music contributed £924 million (A$1.75 billion) to the economy in 2014 with music fans making over 26 million visits to live concerts or festivals in the UK.

The full legislation is here.

Yesterday, London’s Mayor Boris Johnson announced a Night Time Commission, a six-month investigation into what should be done to protect, manage and grow the nighttime economy. The UK’s nighttime economy is worth £66 billion ($125.2 billion) a year to the UK, and employs 1.3 million people.

He said: “There is no doubt that the night time economy is hugely important to our prosperity and the life of our city, but there is insufficient oversight for the way it is managed and problems are mitigated. It is brilliantly successful, but night time activities can be seen as causes of noise and nuisance, whilst businesses complain that rising property values, the need for housing, licensing requirements and other red tape are damaging their operations, even leading to closures.

“If we are to compete against other world cities is vital that we develop policies to reconcile the competing needs and concerns.”

A number of cities as Amsterdam and Paris have introduced night mayors to develop such policies.