Again the 'guidance' may be well intentioned but it is he words of the Bill that matter.

A complaint by a 'vocal' single resident is to be ignored then? Given that the whole concept of noise complaints works like this in practice, I can see no reason why this 'guidance' will make any difference. Just stating that a balance should be made is hardly ensuring that one is.

Councils will argue that even a plainly malicious complaint about unlicensed entertainment, places a statutory duty on them to follow up, one which would place them in conflict with this statutory duty and leave them open to complaint, if they did not. Does this 'guidance' overide this?

Present Home Office 'guidance' tells LAs not to overcharge for PEL fees, but these are ignored.