Letter: Lib Dems Support The Star’s Fight to Keep Their Music Licence

Published on: 28 Jul, 2018
Updated on: 28 Jul, 2018

The Star Inn, Quarry Street

From Ciaran Doran

The Star has housed a music venue for generations and it is no secret that iconic legends like The Stranglers made their mark on British music starting out in the “Back Room at The Star” in Guildford.

So it should be no surprise to any developer that if they were to build flats right next to this venue then they would need to ensure that such flats were properly sound-proofed. Evidently, the developer was very much aware and even applied for permission to soundproof the rooms nearest the venue.

Live music is the lifeblood of the music industry. Guildford is well known for supporting the music industry. Generations of musicians, artists and recording engineers have been inspired by the scene here and gone on to develop their skills at the ACM (Academy of Contemporary Music), The Boileroom, schools and at the university.

It appears that the Conservative government has belatedly realised that their rush to create homes by allowing offices to be converted to flats under permitted development rights was far from ideal in town centre locations.

An amendment to planning legislation in 2016 and now the latest National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) document warns planners to ensure that “new development can be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities (such as places of worship, pubs, music venues and sports clubs)… Where the operation of an existing business or community facility could have a significant adverse effect on new development (including changes of use) in its vicinity, the applicant should be required to provide suitable mitigation before the development has been completed.”

The Star is now vulnerable and Guildford Lib Dems are supporting a petition to keep The Back Room at The Star.

Readers who wish to lend theirr support to live music should sign the petition that can be found at: http://bit.ly/SaveGuildfordStar

Or contact: Caroline Reeves, Liberal Democrat group leader, Friary & St Nicolas councillor on: 07803 204433 caroliner.libdem@gmail.com

Responses to Letter: Lib Dems Support The Star’s Fight to Keep Their Music Licence

Bill Smith Reply

July 29, 2018 at 7:13 pm

Great article although I do not think the person did this via permitted development. It seems they had full planning permission, so how does this affect the 2016 planning policy, I wonder?
Audrey Webb Reply

July 29, 2018 at 9:57 pm

Great article – another fail for GBC planning. Would be interesting to hear what MP Anne Milton has to say about this – and hopefully not her team’s usual vague non-committal answers. It’s time she took a genuine interest in local issues.
Brian Matthews Reply

July 30, 2018 at 11:26 am

It strikes me as rather ironic that the Lib Dems, and Caroline Reeves in particular, should be now so supportive of The Stars current plight when she was one of the main reasons a noise abatement notice was served on The Boileroom in 2014, where was the support then?

Also, a music licence is only required between the hours of 11pm – 8am so the impact of losing it would be no music after 11pm.
Julia McShane Reply

July 30, 2018 at 10:00 pm

Brian Matthews may have a long memory but it is also a selective one as he forgets that the community around the Boileroom was being subjected not only to excessive noise but also to anti-social behaviour? Cllr Reeves was one of a number of people who rightly stood up against it.

Julia McShane is a Lib Dem borough councillor for Westborough
JS Palmer Reply

July 31, 2018 at 10:40 am

The Boileroom seems to have solved its problems back in 2014 and there have been no further issues since. Couldn’t their management be consulted to help The Star promote live music along lines which seem to be working in their community?