After months of working with New Forest District council (NFDC), we have had to temporarily suspend live music due to being served with a Noise Abatement Noitce.  We feel this notice has been served somewhat hastily as I (Martin) and my staff believe they were working closely with the council to reaach a fair compromise after aproximately 4 regular complainants made it necessary for Environmental Helath to monitor live music events.

These events are once weekly and for two sets of forty five minutes, usuallly in an afternoon.

Subsequent to meeting with the environmental health office for NFDC, we agreed a plan whereby we would vary the location of music, moving it bewtween the front of the premises, the rear of the premises and bringing it inside.  We then emailed NFDC a list of events for July.

On the 25th of June at 1600 hours we had out Jazz quintet perform briefly outside our premises.  This lasted 40 minutes and was brought inside due to rain.  NFDC received a noise complaint

After this event I had a conversation with NFDC wherby they advised they had received the complaint and would need to monitor.  During the conversation I spoke at length with the officer whoi agreed that we 'were a long way off any abatement notice'.

On July 2nd we had David Mein perform.  A solo act, with a guitar and a microphone.  This took place indoors.

On July 9th we had no music.

On July 16th we had a fundraiser for Alzheimers UK.  Depsite warning the council rgearding this event, AND the organiser trying to speak to the nieghbours, NFDC attended this event from a nerby premises and monitored.

On July 20th, an Abatement notice was served.  This can only have been evidenced on this singular fundraising event.

We are happy to compromise further to further resolve these issues, but with an abatement notice in place it makes this very difficult.  The penalty is criminal prosecution and an unlimited fine.

We are campaigning to have the notice revoked, or to have special permision attached.  THe pub and the majority of the villagers and patrons from further afield believe it would be reasonable to:

Allow solo acts or accoustic acts to perform at the venue on alternate weekends

The pub would agree to bring bands indoors at the premises

Fundraising - Music is crucial to our fundraisers.  To date we estimate have helped to raise aproximately £10k for worthy local causes.  The pub would like permission to have 6 fundraisers per year and where they fall in summer months for these to be outdoors.

Wihtout such consent, sadly these contributions will no longer be able to continue.

We would very much appreciate you shoiwing your support by putting your name to this petition and hopefully repealing this somewhat hasty notice,

Martin Hinkes owner of The Crown Inn    Contact the author of the petition