Butley Priory

Sharps Redmore were instructed to undertake an assessment of entertainment noise from an established events venue at Butley Priory in Suffolk.

The venue is a 700-year-old gatehouse which was formerly part of an Augustinian Priory which extended over 20 acres. Sharps Redmore were involved in providing an assessment to accompany a planning application for the use of the premises for wedding receptions and similar functions within the existing Priory building and utilising the lawn area immediately to the north of the Priory for marquee events.

The report contained an assessment of likely music noise and other noise sources associated with the proposed venue. The assessment focused on live music during marquee events. Such events were monitored over a number of summer weekends at a variety of locations representing neighbouring residential properties in the area.

All of the monitoring and methodology was agreed with the local authority Environmental Health Officer who had previously received noise complaints from events.

Recommendations and mitigation measures were provided with an agreed internal music noise limit in the marquee of 95 dB LAeq,5mins.

A noise management plan was provided which proposed control measures and practical measures that could be employed to reduce the risk of unacceptable noise for local residents.

Planning permission was granted with a number of agreed conditions enabling the continued use of the venue to the satisfaction of the client and local authority.