Anger as bid to play music on historic seafront terrace recommended for refusal
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00It's one of Kent's oldest LGBTQ plus bars.
00:04Sundowners uses the terrace above Margate, Victorian shelter, during the summer.
00:09And bosses here have now put in a bid to allow background music to be played from it.
00:13But the local council recommends refusal,
00:16saying it would result in significant disturbance to nearby neighbours.
00:20And a director here has been left confused,
00:23saying other venues, including Dreamland, are freely allowed to blast their music across the town.
00:28So Dreamland will put on Tom Jones, will put on Status Quo,
00:31will put on Olly Murs, Madness, UB40 and so on and so forth.
00:35And they're great shows and great entertainment for people.
00:38It brings a massive amount of business into the area.
00:41But it also has an effect to the residents here in terms of noise and their peace and quiet.
00:46So I don't see how a little bit of background music on a terrace outside a bar
00:51is affecting Margate at any kind of level at all.
00:55Ian says the speakers would be no louder than 60 decibels.
00:58That's the equivalent of two people having a conversation.
01:02And in the application, it's seen more than 100 representations, mostly supporting the bid.
01:08But when it came to objections, most of those were coming from the neighbouring Albert Terrace.
01:14Many saying it's just too noisy in the evening.
01:18Some people have said they can barely watch TV.
01:20The noise of the venue makes it a terrible place to live and they dread the summer months.
01:26However, the final decision will be made by Fannett District Council's planning committee this evening
01:31because it was called in by the local councillor.
01:33The kind of key message I'll be getting across is we've got to support our underrepresentation of groups in the area,
01:39such as the LGBTQIA plus community.
01:43And more importantly, actually, this is good for the local economy.
01:46You know, the terrace has wonderful views.
01:49It's a really good opportunity to demonstrate how beautiful Margate is.
01:53Under previous ownership, music was played here without a licence.
01:57But a new owner say they're playing by the books, but with a refusal on the cards.
02:02He worries about what long-term impacts it could have.
02:05Without having that background music, our clients will wander to other venues where there is music being played.
02:11And we will lose that trade. We will lose that business.
02:16Sundowners is also a nightclub and whatever happens this evening will have no influence on that.
02:21And despite promises the outside music will remain quiet, some neighbours will be hoping that recommendation is listened to.
02:28Gabriel Morris in Margate.