It looks like the task force set up by London mayor Boris Johnson is actually having some effect, as tweaks to planning legislation may actually help to save some live music venues.Alarmed by the closing of some of the most popular clubs in the city, the mayor took action last October in an effort to save its remaining music venues. The impact has spread to the entire country though, as the Music Venue Trust announced that new legislation would be put in place specifically to deal with noise complaints that threatened many successful music venues.
With many cities sections undergoing gentrification, it was not uncommon for a new apartment or condo building to be built beside a long-standing music venue. When new residents moved in, they complained about the loud noise and large crowds of people, in many cases causing a successful club to close.
The new tweak in the legislation requires a developer to consider the impact on the new residents before applying for any building permits, and ceasing development if the impact will be too great, thereby saving the venue.
Something like this happens so rarely that it feels good for musicians and venues to finally get a win. Now if only more localities around the world would adopt the same attitude, the music industry would be a lot better off.
Here's a great overview of the situation from DIY.
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