Bandstand gets music licence despite objection by resident

The application for a licence was submitted in August last year, one month before the official opening of the bandstand on The Grove.

Members of the town's two Rotary Clubs, who have been managing the project, expected the licence application to go through without a hitch and the bandstand had already been wired up for amplification.

While brass bands can generate enough noise of their own for people to hear, it was considered that smaller groups, such as classical musicians or choirs, would need their performance amplified so people could hear properly.

But one nearby resident, who has not been name by the council, made an official objection to the licensing panel, and they had to take it into account.

The case for the bandstand was made to the panel by Ilkley district councillor Martin Smith, who is a member of the Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary Club.

He said that the only comment made by the panel was that they wanted to impose a condition that performances could go on until 9pm instead of 11pm on the original application.

"We have no problem with that," said Coun Smith, who added that a special application could be made for permission to stage rare performances which are due to go on after 9pm.

The objector was mainly concerned with 'guitars' and 'pop' music but Ilkley Rotary Club member Paul Anning said it was unlikely that such performances could feature in the bandstand's calendar of events.

"It is not like we are putting on Status Quo with about 4,000 decibels," said Mr Anning.

Coun Smith said that Rotary Club members would monitor each performance and the bandstand to make sure sound levels did not reach a pitch where people would be disturbed. So far, performances had mostly been at an acceptable level.

"I must admit that the Church of Life were a bit noisy, but they have been told to reduce the level of amplification," said Coun Smith.

Coun Smith said that more noise was generated from commercial radio vans which operated in the central car park of Ilkley than the bandstand. But he said that the bandstand committee was prepared to make sure people were not disturbed by activities at the bandstand.

Members would do this by liaising with Bradford environmental health officers to discover what noise levels could be expected from brass bands and others so it could be put into the agreements they signed.

Brian Anderson, Bradford's environmental health manager said: "I can't say we get a lot of complaints about bandstands but we would investigate if there was a cause of nuisance to someone."

Peter Wakeham, of the Brighton-based Noise Abatement Society, said: "We do get the odd complaint, normally about pop concerts; we have yet, in all the years I have known, to get one about a bandstand playing."