A new code of conduct for buskers and street performers in Altrincham town centre has been slammed. Trafford council introduced the code following a number of complaints from local businesses in an attempt to ‘ensure a balance between the needs of musicians, residents and businesses’.
The complaints centred around noise levels, performers allegedly disrupting business operations and on one occasion an altercation that required police attendance, according to a council report. The new standards are already in operation and include instructions for acts to perform at a reasonable volume, not cause obstruction, and only used reasonable amplified sound, drums or street furniture.
The authority held a public consultation on the plans last year which largely showed the public’s opinion was in favour of buskers performing, with amplifiers if necessary in the town. Altrincham HQ’s Alex McCann tweeted: “It’s a real backwards step. The results of the Trafford council consultation found clearly there was no need for a code of conduct. Why have consultations (at a cost to the tax payer) for them to be disregarded?
READ MORE:
“Trafford council, your own consultation recommended ‘not to implement the code of conduct at the present time’. Didn’t the survey back buskers overwhelmingly? Or did the survey results not come into it?”
Initially, the council said it was considering not implementing a code based on the consultation feedback, but more recently it has received further complaints from Altrincham businesses, so the code has now been imposed.
A spokesperson for Trafford council said: “We carefully considered the results of the consultation and initially decided not to implement a code, but to monitor the situation in Altrincham Town Centre. However after a further period of monitoring, complaints continued to be received from local businesses.
“Accordingly we made a number of changes to the code of conduct to reflect the results of consultation – and the code has been introduced for a temporary period only so its impact can be assessed.”
The code is set to remain in place from April 1 2022 to September 30 2022 at which point it will be reviewed further.
