Original article published on The Conversation (01/29/18) by Marion Roberts

The U.K.'s Agent of Change (Planning) Bill makes developers accountable for managing noise issues when they build new homes near live music venues, spurred by concerns about the many venues that were closing across Britain, writes University of Westminster professor Marion Roberts. "Many homes have been built on 'brownfield' sites—where there used to be factories or warehouses, which are now used less or not at all," Roberts notes. "These types of places also offered spaces where creative entrepreneurs could set up new clubs, or take over existing venues and attract new customers with the offer of live music." Until now, venue owners were mainly responsible for resolving noise complaints by residents, with installation of proper soundproofing and other remedial measures exacting a heavy toll. Such scenarios were not addressed by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) of 2012, which said expansion could only be warranted in the absence of unreasonable restrictions. The Agent of Change bill is designed to guarantee that the legal principle of developers handling noise reduction is embedded in the NPPF, but Roberts says the measure by itself will not prevent live music venue closures. "It would not address other issues such as rising rents, hikes in rateable values, and property owners preferring to redevelop their buildings into flats," she notes.

Read the full story on the The Conversation website.