BlackStar Bar and Grill, in St James Street, has been the subject of up to 30 noise complaints over the past two years, prompting Waltham Forest Council to take action, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A Walthamstow restaurant and bar has been banned from playing loud music and must close earlier following complaints from locals.
BlackStar Bar and Grill, in St James Street, has been the subject of up to 30 noise complaints over the past two years, prompting Waltham Forest Council to take action.
The town hall’s licensing team said it wanted to support the business but the operators had not taken steps to address “unresolved” problems with noise.
Residents living nearby the venue complained about “continuous noise” and “late-night disturbance”.
One local said, in a formal letter to the council, that the issue had been “ongoing for years, and we are truly exhausted”.
The venue was previously licensed to close at 11pm on weekdays and until 2am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
At a hearing yesterday (16th December), the council’s elected licensing committee voted to cut its weekday hours to 11pm and Sunday’s to 10.30pm.
It has also been stripped of the right to play live or recorded music beyond a background level, after licensing officers told councillors the venue was “not fit for what they are doing”.
No representatives from the restaurant turned up to the hearing. BlackStar Bar and Grill was contacted for comment.
The council first issued a noise abatement notice to the restaurant in February.
Inspectors from the noise pollution team found no further issues on three follow-up visits in March, April and June, the number of complaints reportedly increased during the warmer summer months.
Under the previous licence, BlackStar agreed to serve alcohol only with meals and keep “soothing background music suited to a restaurant” to a low level.
According to TagVenue, the African bar and grill – formerly Big T’s Diner – hosts “summer parties, office parties, product launches, networking events, christenings, comedy evenings, private dining, baby showers, fancy dress parties, and children’s parties”.
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