A farm in Herefordshire, known as Out to Grass and located near the Worcestershire border, has agreed to impose stricter limits on its noisy late-night events following persistent complaints from local residents.
The issue came before Herefordshire Council’s licensing subcommittee, which initially postponed a decision to review the venue’s licence until a site visit could be conducted. The council’s regulatory service manager, Elisabeth Laughland, has been investigating noise problems at the site for over ten years. Recently, officers called for a licence review due to escalating noise nuisance concerns.
According to Laughland, the venue has expanded from hosting occasional festivals to operating as a private-hire festival site nearly every weekend during summer months. During the meeting, she presented sound clips recorded near the venue last summer that illustrated the intense bass and noise vibrations felt by nearby properties.
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Local residents John and Nita Ellis described their experience living near the venue as a nightmare. They moved to the “beautiful and generally quiet” countryside with hopes of a peaceful life, only to be plagued by walls shaking from the booming rave music. John stated, “It’s physical and mental torture. We would sell our house, but would anyone buy it?” Nita revealed that the noise has affected her health, causing depression and leading to medication.
Representing the venue owner Ian Johnson, agent Ewen Macgregor emphasized ongoing efforts to cooperate with the community and implement improvements to control the noise. A noise management plan is being put into action, alongside investments to reduce sound impact. However, a noise abatement notice served on the farm is currently scheduled for a court hearing later this month, with a trial set for later in the year.
The venue has proposed a compromise, including ending live outdoor music by 11 pm and restricting events to Thursdays through Sundays. Mr. Macgregor suggested limiting regulated entertainment to 40 days annually, stressing that fewer events would harm the business.
After careful consideration, the council agreed to these conditions but added a cap of five large or high-impact events per year, aiming to balance the interests of the local community and the venue’s operations.