Birmingham Carnival organisers told to turn the music down this summer
Mar 7 2009 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail
Birmingham Summer Show at Perry Park. Lee Woodend, (left) aged 11, enjoys the summer carnival and face painting stall, with her brother Kirk, (right) aged 10 at Perry Park, both come from Great Barr in 1994.
ORGANISERS of the Birmingham Carnival have been warned to turn the music down when this summer’s party event takes to the streets.
The warning comes from councillors who were flooded with complaints following the last carnival in 2007 after deafening sound systems were turned up way in excess of legal noise limits.
With the city’s premier carnival set to return to Perry Park in August, councillors have issued an early warning they will not tolerate a repeat of the 85-decibel misery inflicted on those living near the park.
But carnival organisers said they will comply with any noise regulations but pointed out the disturbance is just once every two years.
Coun Jon Hunt (Lib Dem, Perry Barr) said: “This should be a cause for celebration and a great community event. The carnival procession is always magnificent. Yet we always receive the news with dread, because something always goes wrong.
“The noise last time was completely over the top. I don’t think it was a pleasant experience for many of the visitors, and certainly was not for the many people living around the park.
“There were performances on stage, school groups, singers and so on which were drowned out by the music.”
