The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee will be considering whether to review the premises licence of Leyton Orient Football Club. The meeting follows a request for review by Mr and Mrs Jonathan and Mette Barker, citing public nuisance arising from noise. Twenty-three representations have been received by the Committee, including one from the Environmental Health Noise Team. The committee will determine whether or not to take any steps to modify, suspend or revoke the club's licence. Please remember that this is just a summary of what is scheduled to be discussed in the meeting, based on the publicly available information, and we do not know what will actually be discussed or decided.

Review of Leyton Orient Football Club Premises Licence

Mr and Mrs Barker, who live at Kitchen Court, on Brisbane Road, next to the stadium, have requested that the committee review Leyton Orient's licence. In their application, they said:

We wish to request a review of the licence on the grounds of 'prevention of public nuisance'. Specifically, the nuisance is evening and late-night parties imposing loud music and other noise on a regular basis on hundreds of surrounding neighbours in a densely populated area.

The application included statements of support from other residents, photographs, videos and spreadsheet records of noisy events at the club dating back to January 2022.

Mr and Mrs Barker's complaint is based around four separate sources of noise:

Parties and Events

Mr and Mrs Barker have said they were initially told by the club in 2021 that they were going to install air-conditioning in the hospitality suite, which they said would allow them to keep windows closed and reduce noise. They said this did not happen, and that noise from parties and events has continued to be an issue.

Pitch Hire

The Barkers have also complained about noise from pitch hires at the end of season. They said:

There always used to be a few of these but now the club hires out the pitch for matches and tournaments on an almost daily basis at the end of the season. This involves players and coaches shouting, noisy crowds, tannoy announcements, sometimes music on stadium speakers and bright pitch lights left on late.

The application pack included the schedule of events sent out to residents by Ms Lucy Gammons, Leyton Orient's Head of Hospitality, Functions and Events, which shows that the club had pitch hire bookings on 42 of the 49 days between 21 April and 8 June 2024.

Stadium and Pitch Works

Mr and Mrs Barker have also complained about noise associated with works at the stadium. They said:

This includes machine noise such as cutting into concrete with a band saw, drilling, dumping rubble into skips right outside our windows, running motors and tractors and loud banging. This noise is often ear-piercingly loud and headache inducing. Often work is done right outside residents' windows.

Tottenham Hotspur Women's Games

Mr and Mrs Barker have also complained about noise associated with the playing of Tottenham Hotspur Women's games at the stadium. They said:

It is particularly the choice of pre-match and halftime entertainment at Spurs Women's games, with very loud MCing, that is disturbing. The crowd is comparatively small, yet the volume of music is extremely loud and often starts playing before fans even arrive. Fans also use klaxons, horns and drums.

Environmental Health Noise Team Representation

The Environmental Health Noise team have also submitted a representation to the committee in support of Mr and Mrs Barker's application. The team's Enforcement Officer, Mr Abdi Mohamed, said that:

The Air Quality & Environmental Protection (AQEP) Service has been receiving complaints about noise from the above premises since 3rd June 2023. The noise complained about is loud music during events organised in the hospitality space of the premises.

Several visits have been carried out and statutory nuisance, as defined in the Environmental Protection Act 1990, was witnessed on three occasions.

The representation goes on to say that the team had raised the issue with the club, and that they had agreed to look at installing air conditioning as a mitigating measure. The representation goes on to say that the amount of complaints the team received reduced while the club kept their windows closed, but that:

It is unrealistic to expect that this measure can be followed at all times.

Mr Mohamed has therefore requested that the committee add the following condition to the club's licence:

All amplified music systems shall be controlled by the use of a noise limiter so as not to cause nuisance to nearby noise sensitive premises. The noise limiter shall be installed and set to officers' satisfaction and thereafter maintained for the duration of use of the premises.

Other Representations

The Committee has received a further 22 representations, from other people living in the vicinity of the stadium.

Most of the representations echoed Mr and Mrs Barker's concerns, with many detailing their own experiences of what they described as noise nuisance. Many respondents said they supported a review of the licence, with a range of suggestions for modifications.

Some said they supported the club's activities, and hoped that the licence would be retained without any changes.