The Licensing Sub-Committee considered an application for the review of a Premises Licence for Leyton Orient Football Club on Brisbane Road, Leyton. The application, made by Mr and Mrs Barker, requested the addition of new conditions to the licence or that it be revoked completely. The Sub-Committee decided to amend the licence to reduce the hours during which licensable activities are permitted and to add a condition requiring the use of a noise limiter.

Noise from Events Held at the Hospitality Suite

The application for review was made by Mr and Mrs Barker, who live in a flat at Kitchen Court on Brisbane Road, Leyton. They cited noise from parties and events held at the hospitality suite at the club. Mr and Mrs Barker requested that the licence for regulated entertainment be revoked, or, failing that, that new conditions be attached to it. They proposed that the hospitality suite only host one event per month, that those events finish at 10pm on Friday and Saturday and 9pm from Sunday to Thursday, and that no events take place on the same day as other events on the pitch, such as pitch hires or matches. They also suggested that noise limiters be installed and that all windows and doors be kept shut during events to reduce the noise emanating from them.

The Sub-Committee noted that Mr and Mrs Barker

gave evidence that they had lived in their flat for 17 years, however a few years ago the noise disturbance started increasing. There has been a significant increase in days that the pitch is being hired out, and they can’t even open the windows in their homes due to the noise.

The Sub-Committee also noted that the Environmental Health team, a 'Responsible Authority' under the terms of the Licensing Act 2003, made a representation in support of the Barkers' application. Mr Abdi Mohamed, the Air Quality and Environmental Protection Service Manager, gave evidence that his team had been receiving complaints since June 2023 and that they had witnessed statutory nuisance¹ during three separate visits. He stated his belief that the use of a noise limiter would address the problems caused by noise from the hospitality suite.

The Barkers also cited noise from other sources, including pitch hires, construction work, and matches played by Tottenham Hotspur Women FC. They highlighted that they had received a letter from the club stating that contractors were aware that the club was

in a residential area, therefore they will abide by Waltham Forest Council’s working hours for commercial construction which is 8:00am - 18:00pm

They stated that in practice these hours were not always adhered to, and that the club itself did not stick to the Council's hours for their annual pitch renovation project. The Sub-Committee acknowledged that these were legitimate concerns but noted that these were outside the scope of the Licensing Act 2003 and therefore they could not impose conditions in relation to these matters. They did recommend, however, that Leyton Orient Football Club

keep the balcony doors closed when appropriate to reduce any disturbance to the residents

and

encourages an open dialogue between the parties to address the resident’s concerns.

The Sub-Committee was satisfied that, by imposing new conditions on the licence for the hospitality suite, the residents' concerns about noise could be addressed. Ms Lisa Gilligan, the legal counsel representing the club, stated that the club wished to move forward and were happy to accept the condition proposed by the Air Quality and Environmental Protection team to install a noise limiter. They also volunteered further conditions, including closing the windows of the hospitality suite when regulated entertainment is taking place, providing residents with a telephone number to contact in case of problems, and ensuring that the portable air conditioning units would be in operation when the suite is in use. The Sub-Committee also decided to reduce the hours during which licensable activities were permitted from the hospitality suite to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, and to 12.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.