Leyton Orient FC face complaints from neighbours over loud music and cheering

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Evening Standard

·20 November 2024

Leyton Orient FC face complaints from neighbours over loud music and cheering

Locals say they accept music related to football games but noise pollution has significantly increased in recent years

Leyton Orient Football Club will face a licensing hearing after more than 20 residents complained about loud music coming from the ground.

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Two of its neighbours have requested that Waltham Forest Council reviews its licence and a hearing has been arranged for next Tuesday (26th November).

They said residents are being “kept awake” and “cannot enjoy peaceful evenings,” due to the “very loud” music and cheering.

The Brisbane Road ground, which has been home to the League One team since 1937, is currently licensed to play music until 1.30am.

According to documents submitted to the council, residents have been contacting the stadium since 2021 asking for windows to be kept closed and the music to be turned down.

The club held 38 events in 2022. Between January and August this year, it held 67 events – equating to around eight a month.

Jonathan and Mette Barker, who requested the review, told the council: “We accept, and always have, that we live by a football stadium and therefore will have noise related to that – Orient games and pitch upkeep such as regular lawn-mowing.

“However, sínce 2021, we have endured overwhelming noise pollution as the club has significantly increased noisy activities in several areas.”

They added: “During the four months at the end of the season [January through April], the noise is so extreme it makes our homes almost unbearable to live in.

“We do not think it is reasonable for a neighbour, whether [it is] a business or not, to be allowed to cause such disturbance to hundreds of surrounding residents.”

A total of 22 complaints have been lodged with Waltham Forest Council’s licensing team by people living nearby.

One resident said they could clearly make out song lyrics despite keeping their windows closed, and the bass can be “at such a level that it makes it difficult to even hear our TV in our living room during the evenings”.

He also criticised the “explosion of noise” that is produced by pitch hires, including children’s games and charity matches.

He said: “We obviously wouldn’t want this to stop in its entirety, but how can it be justified that residents should have to live through this explosion of activity/noise at the end of every single season, and for such a sustained period?”

On three separate visits, in December 2023 and May 2024, the council’s air quality and environmental protection service said the noise level constituted “statutory nuisance”.

The neighbours have requested that the club’s licence for regulated entertainment is revoked, or a string of conditions are implemented.

They include reducing the hours to 9pm on weekdays and 10pm on weekends, and limiting the number of events where music is played to just one a month.

They also want the club to agree to keep all doors and windows closed whenever music is being played or when any other noise is made “which would be audible outside the club’s premises”.

The council’s air quality team added that the ground’s music players should be controlled by a noise limiter, which can cut off power to the equipment if it goes beyond a certain threshold.

Members of the licensing committee will carry out the review on November 26.

Leyton Orient was contacted for comment.