DISAPPOINTED committee members of a village events venue have hit out at a Noise Abatement Order (NAO) served by Rugby Borough Council (RBC) – which the council insists was only imposed as a ‘last resort’.
The NAO on Brandon Club has prompted the club’s committee to voluntarily cancel live music events, weddings and parties for the next six months to which the order applies.
A spokesman for the club said the order ‘threatened the club’s financial viability and jeopardised its role as a vital community asset’.
Club Steward Mark Evans urged RBC officials to reconsider the terms of the order and called for a ‘more balanced approach’.
He told The Obserer: “These events are loved by members, and would be really missed if we cannot come to a compromise with the council.
“We were confident there would be no noise that was considered a nuisance.
“The order will affect us financially. I am confident we will survive, but it will seriously affect our ambitions to improve the club facilities.
“I honestly feel that the order was unjustly invoked upon us and think it should be removed as soon as possible.”
But an RBC spokesman responded by saying that only four NAOs were served out of 671 noise complaints received in the last year.
He added: “Rugby Borough Council has a legal duty to investigate allegations of statutory nuisance and always seeks to work proactively with business owners to resolve issues, only taking legal action as a last resort.
“We understand compliance with an abatement notice can be complicated and we encourage any business or individual served with a notice to contact us at the first opportunity so we can discuss how to comply.
“The council supports live music and remains committed to working with business owners and communities in order to achieve the right balance.”
