Record shop’s silent disco blocked due to risk of noise complaints

The former Kingsland Nursery. Image: Google

A daytime silent disco in a former nursery play area has been scuppered by police after neighbours complained about previous “loud DJ parties”.

On Tuesday (15 July) Hackney Council denied a local record shop permission to host the events after a “misunderstanding” of licensing rules led to the Town Hall receiving several noise complaints.

Two parties were recently held at Dalston’s Recycle Vinyl where crowds gathered in a backyard space formerly used by Kingsland Nursery, which closed in 2023 after a poor Ofsted report.

While the owners had sought permission from the council to have DJs, the Metropolitan Police said they had not communicated this properly in the application.

“As a result neighbours thought an unlicensed music event was taking place – it was that loud”, said PC Neal Hunwick.

Council officers had also turned up to the property after receiving complaints.

The second-hand record shop’s owner Robert Smith said he was “really sorry for the misunderstanding” but argued that many of the noise abatement orders came after one individual had co-ordinated residents in a WhatsApp group where they “actively” encouraged others to complain “five days before the event took place”.

Following these events, he sought the council’s permission to host a daytime dance music party, ‘Vinyl Bitch’, for up to 150 people from 12pm to 9pm on Saturday 19 July.

Both the Met and council teams objected due to the risk of more noise complaints from a DJ-led sound system in the backyard.

To soothe concerns, the proprietor said he would make the event a ‘silent disco’ where guests would be given headphones to listen to dance music while still using the outdoor space.

“I can’t see how 150 people jumping around in someone’s back garden is not going to cause a public nuisance for neighbours during the day,” PC Hunwick said.

Mr Smith later offered to cap attendees at 80 people, scrap the “entertainment” altogether and just use the former play area as a beer garden.

However, the council said it could only rule on the initial request, which it refused the next day.

Recycle Vinyl opened in Dalston in late 2024, marking its second location after its flagship store in West Yorkshire.

During the hearing, owner Mr Smith said the team wanted to use the outdoor space for more events after noticing “quite a drop-off in takings”.