6 Legal Responsibilities You Have Around Event Noise

Noise is an important factor in event regulation in the UK, and effective management is essential to avoid complaints or licensing issues. Whether you're organising a small community event or a large outdoor festival, you have clear legal responsibilities around sound management before, during and after your event.  

Here are six key legal duties every event organiser should understand.

1. You Must Comply with Your Event Licence Conditions

If your event is licensed under the Licensing Act 2003, any noise-related conditions attached to that licence are legally binding. These often include:

• Maximum noise levels at site boundaries

• Curfews or restricted operating hours

• Requirements for real-time noise monitoring

• Mandatory noise management plans

Failure to comply can lead to:

• Immediate enforcement action

• Licence reviews

• Restrictions on future events at the venue

Noise compliance is not optional once licence conditions are issued.

2. You Have a Duty to Prevent Statutory Nuisance

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, event noise can be classed as a statutory nuisance if it unreasonably interferes with the use or enjoyment of nearby properties.

Local authorities, through Local Authority Environmental Health, have the power to:

• Serve abatement notices

• Restrict sound levels

• Shut down amplified sound

• Prosecute organisers for non-compliance

This applies even if your event is otherwise licensed.

3. You Must Protect Staff From Noise at Work

Event organisers are legally responsible for the hearing health of staff, contractors and crew under the Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.

Your responsibilities include:

• Assessing noise exposure

• Reducing risks at source where reasonably practicable

• Providing hearing protection where required

• Providing information and training

• Monitoring exposure where necessary

This duty applies to:

• Stage crew

• Security

• Bar staff

• Technicians

• Production teams

Temporary events are not exempt from workplace noise law.

4. You Must Submit Accurate Noise Management Plans

Many councils require a Noise Management Plan as part of the event licensing or planning process. Once submitted, this document becomes a formal working commitment.

A valid noise management plan should cover:

• Site layout and speaker placement

• Predicted noise levels

• Monitoring strategy

• Complaint handling procedures

• Escalation processes

• Shutdown and wind-down protocols

Providing inaccurate or non-deliverable plans can expose organisers to enforcement action if disturbances occur.

5. You Must Respond Properly to Noise Complaints

If a complaint is received during your event, you are expected to:

• Investigate it immediately

• Take proportionate corrective action

• Record the response taken

• Co-operate with council officers

Ignoring complaints or failing to take action can escalate the issue rapidly. In some cases, failure to respond appropriately can be viewed as a breach of licence conditions.

6. You Must Keep Reliable Noise Records

Many councils now expect organisers to retain noise data during and after the event. This includes:

• Real-time monitoring records

• Boundary measurement logs

• Complaint records

• Post-event noise reports

To keep these records meaningful and defensible, it’s important that noise levels are measured using at least Class 2, calibrated sound level meters, as these meet the precision requirements for environmental noise assessment. Equipment should also be regularly calibrated, ensuring your data is accurate and suitable for any regulatory review or potential enforcement discussions.

These records can be critical if:

• A licence is reviewed

• A legal challenge is raised

• Future permissions are requested

Accurate documentation protects both organisers and venues.

Why Professional Noise Management Matters

Meeting your legal responsibilities around event noise is not just about avoiding complaints. It protects:

• Your licence

• Your reputation

• Your relationship with local authorities

• Your ability to run future events

Professional noise management provides structured planning, live monitoring and post-event reporting that supports legal compliance at every stage.

Need Support With Event Noise Compliance?

If you need assistance with:

• Noise management plans

• Real-time monitoring

• Sound engineer liaison

• Noise at work assessments

• Post-event noise reports

Get in touch to discuss your event noise requirements or to find out how our professional noise management support can help.