Bar owner fined for playing ‘some of the loudest music I have ever heard’

A York bar owner has to pay £1,500 after a noise patrol officer registered ‘some of the loudest music I have ever heard in someone’s home’.

The owner of Macumba Bar of Coffee Yard was found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice at York Magistrates Court on Wednesday (February 15).

Between July 16, 2013 and July 2, 2016, City of York Council received a number of complaints about loud music from the bar.

Warning letters were sent to the owner. But in June 2016, following another complaint, noise patrol officers visited a home close to the bar.

They could feel vibrations from a bass beat and hear music played loudly enough to be a statutory nuisance.

An officer on the noise patrol described the music as “some of the loudest I have ever heard in someone’s home”.

The officer also observed a door and windows left open at the bar which breached its licence. The manager was warned that the music was too loud and was reminded of their licence conditions.

More complaints

On 30 June 2016, a noise abatement notice was served on Hayati Kucukkoylu, 50, of Boltby Road, York, the licence holder and director of the company. The notice immediately banned the playing of music loud enough to be a statutory nuisance.

Just two days later the council received a further complaint. Noise patrol officers arrived at the complainant’s home and monitored the noise for almost an hour.

The music was so loud officers could hear many of the songs word for word. They asked the manager to turn the music down and told him that the bar was in breach of the noise abatement notice.

Magistrates found the bar owner guilty and awarded full costs of £1,105 to the council. They also imposed a fine of £390 and a £39 surcharge – a total of £1,534 to pay.

Significant impact

Executive member for housing and safer neighbourhoods Cllr Sam Lisle said:

Noise from licensed premises or businesses should be reported to 01904 551525 or on [email protected].

Residents suffering domestic noise can email [email protected] or call 01904 551555.

That is the same number to contact the Neighbourhood Enforcement team who provide a Friday and Saturday evening noise patrol service from 9pm- 3am, responding to and investigating complaints from residents.