Not just a few killjoy nimbys

The summary provided by Philip Burley, LAMP events manager, about the Hybrid Arts retrospective planning application for change of use of its Riverside venue off Adelaide Road, which formed the basis of an article last week (LAMP team responds to noise leakage issue, Courier last week), was erroneous and misleading in equal measure.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Aug 2014, 07:42 BST

His assertions about the levels of support and objection exemplify this. I took the trouble to check documents attached to this application on the WDC web site and found that there are not nine but 24 objections – and not all from Portland Place West residents as he suggests, but 18 from there, four from Archery Road, one from Somers Place and one from the town council. Seven of the objectors also express support for LAMP activities, making clear that their objection is to the impracticality of locating regular late-night events in that specific location. So not just a few killjoy nimbys...

As for the “largely positive responses”, none of the 75 come from within earshot of the venue and none mention potential noise problems, so clearly are from people who support the existence of a LAMP venue, but appear either not to think or not to care about the interests of local residents.

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Mr Burley seems to be trying to deflect criticism onto others – the 3am on the application form being a WDC administrative error or the assertion “we strongly believe that many of the sound complaints are actually about some of the other premises in the area”. Well, Mr Burley, certainly not the mosque, the boat club, the gym or the Royal Naval Club and only occasionally the Irish Club. Perhaps LAMP should brush up on PR and actually write to all local residents (rather than just a selected few) to have a dialogue they should have started long ago.

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Should they get round to it, they might find they have to agree that this is not a suitable location for regular late-night music events but they might find a lot of local support for continuation of the activities not supported by alcohol consumption – and for them to be helped to find a suitable ‘nightclub venue’ in a more appropriate location.

David Wright, via email