Late night karaoke hell has left neighbour ‘at the end of his tether’
By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter
A resident has called for a pub’s licence to be reviewed after claiming loud karaoke sessions left him contemplating taking his own life.
In an application to Kensington and Chelsea council, Ray Rose Raymond wrote the Friday night sing-a-longs at Pig and Whistle pub in Bramley Road, in North Kensington, were “weekly hell”.
In a letter to the council, Mr Raymond said he bought noise-reducing ear plugs and volunteered to work Friday nights to avoid the noise. He also said new insulation installed in the party wall separating his flat from the pub had done little to curb the noise from drunken late-night revellers and disrupted his weekly prayers and meditation.
Mr Raymond said he had been enduring the noise for nearly a decade and had lodged multiple complaints with the council’s licensing team, including reports the pub hosted a “12 hour outdoor rave” during last year’s late May Bank Holiday.
He said: “The noise has been so loud that every song can be heard and differentiated. It is particularly bad when a microphone is used and there is karaoke, this is most Friday nights and continues for hours.”
He also accused the Pig and Whistle of serving alcohol past its 12am cut-off and risking the safety of patrons with lock ins. He said: “As the premises is at the foot of Grenfell, I would hope this enhanced fire risk if categorically stopped in its tracks.”
Mr Raymond said things came to a head in August last year after a series of four close deaths of family, friends and colleagues left him feeling vulnerable. He said: “In a place of grieving I realised I needed time and space to grieve over the festive break from work, and I could not endure the noise any longer. I felt there was no escape”.
Mr Raymond said he “ethically” could not sell his flat while the noise disturbance was an issue and had stopped complaining to the council’s noise prevention team, who he said were ‘useless’.
A number of residents wrote in support of Mr Raymond’s request. One resident, who was not named, said noise problems began five years ago when the pub opened a beer garden and allegedly used material that changed the acoustics.
The application also received representations from people in support of the pub. One person said the pub had been a staple in the community for many years, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere for locals and visitors.
Another said the pub was a “special place for a lot of people” and had held his father’s funeral there. A third said: “The Pig and Whistle Pub is more than just a pub – it’s a cornerstone of our community, and its continued presence is essential to the people who rely on it for support, connection and care.”
According to the council, the pub has been fined three times. The licensing team has drafted a number of new conditions including the use of a sound-limiting divide on all music and banning independent sound systems.
The council will review the Pig and Whistle’s licence at a meeting on tonight.
Pictured top: The Pig and Whistle Pub (Picture: Google Street View)
