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Europe’s largest commercial radio company has launched a court fight with Westminster council over noisy buskers outside its central London offices.
Global Radio, which counts Heart, Capital, Classic FM, Smooth and LBC among its stations, claims performers near its Leicester Square headquarters are causing a “nuisance”
It has begun a legal fight with Westminster council over what it alleges is a failure to crackdown on rowdy entertainers.
The company is using legislation under the Environmental Protection Act, which is usually enforced by local authorities to prosecute persistently noisy neighbours and fly-tippers, in what is believed to be a first of its kind court action.
A spokesman for Westminster council said it does not comment on live legal cases, but confirmed it has pleaded not guilty to the prosecution.
A three-day trial is due to take place early next year at City of London Magistrates’ Court.
It comes after stricter rules were suggested for buskers in the West End following a rise in reported grievances.
Between April 2021 and May 2023, the local authority received 5,070 complaints, with about half being noise related, according to a council review.
Leicester Square was singled out as a complaints hotspot.
Changes put forward for street entertainers include banning them from playing amplified music in parts of the world famous square.
The Covent Garden Street Performers Association has previously described the approach as “woefully disappointing”.
Since 2021 buskers have needed a licence to perform in designated pitches in the West End.
Street entertainment should only take place between 10am and 9pm and amplified entertainment beyond 9pm and before 8am is an offence.
But a minority performers are believed to be flouting the rules.
A Westminster council licencing officer said: “The council is being prosecuted under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 by Global Radio who claim that the council is failing to take action to abate an alleged statutory nuisance.
“The council introduced a busking scheme in April 2021 to cover certain areas in the borough, which included the West End.
“This scheme allows licensed buskers and street entertainers to busk at a pitch in Leicester Square. Amplified instruments can be used. It has transpired that a number of unlicensed buskers also busk at this pitch without permission.
“Global Radio have offices near this pitch, and they claim buskers are causing a statutory nuisance when they perform, and they want the council to take action to stop the alleged statutory nuisance caused.”
