The Impact of the Government’s Changes to Music Venue Protections on Local Homeowners

For years, dedicated music venues, pubs, and bars have been stuck between a rock and a hard place. Live music and events bring in the crowds. Putting on a live act can create a big local buzz. It can also spur more than the usual crowd out into the local area.

Still, people who live nearby can often complain. They don’t want loud noises outside or under their floorboards when they’re looking to unwind. Now, the government has acted to create a new state of play. The onus will go to landlords to sufficiently soundproof. However, music venues will also be given further protections.

Source: Unsplash

The government has decided to reform its licensing rules and planning schemes. In this way, it hopes to lessen the number of noise complaints that come to venues. Developers who want to build new properties near venues will have to soundproof their buildings.

Further, new music venues and al fresco dining options will be fast-tracked to approval in certain areas. This is to try to spur the use of disused shops. It’ll also promote outdoor dining and drinking to reverse the hospitality industry decline. Above all else, the government wants to inject some vibrancy to struggling areas.

The moves also envision the rise of new hospitality zones. There’ll be greater leniency for extended opening hours. Street parties will become much easier to set up. Plus, local rules that delay small businesses from opening will be scrapped. Enabling such venues and events should reinvigorate several parts of the country.

Source: Pixabay

People like to live in places that have things for them to do. Being able to see live acts regularly and enjoy the novelty of outdoor food and drink are big selling points. It infuses some of the main parts of what people enjoy about city living into towns. In this regard, local housing can become much more desirable to certain people.

That said, noisier living spaces can draw the ire of many. Some don’t have sufficient soundproofing already in place. So, late-night music can become rather bothersome. For the people who don’t want to go out and just want to relax indoors, the properties will become much less desirable. Even so, they could see a value bump.

It’s a lot of change at once. As more hospitality zones are created, the impact on house values will begin to be seen. Luckily, there are plenty of tools to help keep on top of this for local homeowners. If you're wondering 'how much is my house worth', there's online valuation tool available, such as this one for example. This free assessment without hidden fees instantly gives you a valuation of your home, taking into account the area it is situated in. 

Of course, the platform is designed to enable quicker house sales. This doesn’t mean that you have to commit to an instant home valuation, though. Simply enter your postcode and see how local changes have affected your home value. This could become useful as more zones get designated for greater hospitality options.

The rise of hospitality zones across the UK should help to spur on local businesses. With greater protections, we should soon see more live venues open for the masses.

This article is a guest contribution. Views expressed are the author’s own.