The conference center granted a late-night music license despite noise concerns

A license allowing music to be played until midnight has been granted in the face of concerns from neighbours. Debden House has received permission from Epping Forestry District Council to play music outside from 10am and 10pm Thursday to Saturday and until 9pm on Sunday.

The indoor music permit extends from 10:00 to midnight Thursday to Saturday and 12:00 to 21:00 on Sundays. The Newham Council-owned conference centre, which previously held a license but voluntarily surrendered it in 2018, has been told it must co-operate with Epping Borough Council over noise restrictions.

However, it says that given current financial pressures and the need to improve its finances, it is assessing the viability of the center it has run since the 1940s. It says that to ensure it remains self-sufficient, future plans include taking reservations for holiday events.

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Shabnam Brown, head of the centre, told the licensing committee that she also lives on site and would just like to see responsible bookings. She said: “To the neighbours, we want to work with you, we don’t want to be disruptive. Some of us live there too, we have children like you. We want to enjoy our weekends too – I don’t work weekends all the time. So I understand your concerns.

“We will provide you with an after-hours contact number. You will have a dispersal policy in place. We’ll do everything we can to make it work for all of us.”

Tony Lomas, who lives opposite, said noise control was the biggest issue facing residents – adding that they already have to live with what they see as intrusive noise levels coming from the campsite. He said: “We have lived here for 21 years and are generally happy with the campsite opposite and it is lovely to see people using the facilities there.

“We broadly support it and there are all sorts of other things that could happen that would be worse. But noise is a pest and a burden to all of us, especially on weekends. During the week we hear people’s tractors, lawnmowers and everything else. But the weekend is when we’re all off work and expect it to be quiet.

“So noise control is the biggest issue for me, not least because we’re at the front of the house and the gardens are at the front of the house. What happens at the occasional campsite when it gets so loud it’s very intrusive, that can happen again with this license. Conditionality around this is absolutely paramount.”