Buskers will be banned in Leicester Square from next week after a court ordered Westminster City Council to stop the “nuisance” noise caused by music.
The local authority said it was left with “no choice” but to suspend two busking performance pitches in the tourist attraction to comply with the City of London Magistrates’ Court ruling last month.
All performances in the square will be suspended from 17 April and entertainers who defy the ban face fines, as well as having their equipment and licenses seized. Street performers across the rest of Westminster are not affected by this ruling.
This comes as Global Radio, which counts Heart, Capital, Classic FM and LBC among its stations, took the council to court for noise pollution outside its headquarters in Leicester Square.
The court ruled a statutory nuisance exists and is likely to reoccur from busking in Leicester Square. The council was issued an abatement order to stop the “noise from the the playing of music by buskers in Leicester Square, and prevent the recurrence of that statutory nuisance” within 28 days of 26 March.
Councillor Matt Noble said: “Street performers are a much-loved part of our city’s identity, but we also have to balance this with a duty to protect residents and businesses. The court ruling gives us no choice — we now have a legal obligation to act.
“This is categorically not a ban on street performers in Westminster. Our next step is to comply with the ruling by suspending street performance pitches in Leicester Square, consider the court ruling and find a fair solution.”
The suspension is set to remain in place until further notice, although the council said it would review the court’s judgement and “consider its next steps”. It said it would explore grounds of appeal and even appropriate revisions to the busking and street entertainment licensing regime, such as pitch locations and terms and conditions.
Many famous stars got their start busking in central London, such as the late George Michael and Rod Stewart. The latter used to busk in Leicester Square in the 1960s while spending time with folk singer Wizz Jones.
