The Government is therefore going to consult on scrapping licensing regulations apart from where there is a clear and overriding need for additional protections such as safety for spectators and noise nuisance for neighbours. But in most cases, these factors are already covered in long-established and effective legislation.

The reference to not scrapping additional protections such as those for noise nuisance is a concern.

Before any move is made on this, the Govt would need:

1. To provide evidence to show where the safeguards under the existing noise legislation and other legislation are considered adequate to protect the public from noise pollution emanating from all other sources except that which is emanating from all forms of entertainment.

2. To demonstrate, if this legislation is considered to be inadequate in this regard, why any short-coming in this legislation cannot be improved in order to address these?

3. To demonstrate - as permission to make any form of noise pollution is not possible - why and how obtaining licensing permissions, from one council department and which need to be applied for in advance of a note being played but are still then subject to the protection of existing noise and other legislation, which is administered from another council department, can do anything but to continue to further confuse this situation and add to the red tape burden?