Cambridge rugby club allowed to host events despite noise fears

BBC News

28-05-2025

A sports club has been told it can continue to host large events at its grounds, despite objections from neighbours who complained about "invasive" noise.Cambridge Rugby Football Club, in Grantchester Road, has been granted permission to stage live music shows and plays, and screen films. Promoters previously had to acquire a licence themselves to hold such events at the site, which the club believed gave it less overall control and accountability.Despite opposition from residents, Cambridge City Council agreed to grant the event licence to the club but imposed certain conditions, such as curfews.
Martin Barker, a representative for the club, said the licence would allow the club to "take a closer eye on the detail of all potential events" and be "accountable for all activities held on their grounds".He also said it hoped to "allay fears" by putting in place a "finite upper limit" to provide assurance that there would not be a "never-ending spiral of outdoor events"."This is about the club taking responsibility and accountability, about making the community asset responsible and accountable as opposed to external people of various sizes coming in and doing that," he said.
The decision was made after 55 neighbours urged councillors to throw out the application over concerns about the impact the events would have on their lives, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.One resident, Jane Langley, said Newnham was "not Glastonbury, Ibiza, or Nashville", claiming previous events had been "invasive, tuneless, ugly and incessant".Natasa Sutta, meanwhile, claimed events at the club had negatively impacted her health, arguing "only small rugby events should take place" and any others with music and alcohol were "unsuitable". She added: "This is a quiet residential area, housing many vulnerable elderly and children, as well as eminent academics, writers and artists, who require peace and quiet."Ratna Beresford described the club's events as "nightmarish" and said her teenage daughter's exam study would suffer due to the "pounding noise".And Mary Kempski said the club was "no longer the quiet neighbour" it once was, having lived near to it for 40 years. "The events have grown exponentially, and I find large events where 5,000 people descend on the same area intimidating," she said."I'm not against people enjoying themselves at all, but the rugby club is not a suitable place for festivals and events."
'Not seeking to cause disruption'
While the council approved the licence, it did impose certain restrictions on the club. Small events of up to 999 people could be held up to ten times a year, medium events of between 1,000 and 2,499 people four times a year, and large events of between 2,500 to 4,999 people three times a year.Medium or large events could only take place on a maximum of two consecutive days across Friday, Saturday and Sunday.At the small events, alcohol could be sold between 10:00 BST and 21:30 from Monday to Thursday, between 10:00 and 22:30 on Friday and Saturday, and between 10:00 and 19:30 on Sunday.At the medium and large events, meanwhile, alcohol could be sold between 11:00 and 22:30 on Friday and Saturday, and between 11:00 and 19:30 on Sunday.The city council said the club could keep its club licence that covered indoor events, which the authority said was "working well for current rugby events".Mr Barker assured those concerned that the club was "not seeking to cause disruption"."We are looking to work alongside all parties, authorities, and community to ensure safe, responsibly run and well-managed events," he said."We hope that the conditions proposed are proportionate and reasonable and fair and will deliver that outcome."
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