Boxpark Shoreditch has secured its right to play live music at night after Hackney Council dismissed neighbours' complaints of a “tsunami of noise” from the venue. The decision, published on July 28, means the pop-up mall at Bishopsgate Goodsyard will keep its terrace music, albeit with new conditions including regular community meetings and a 24/7 resident helpline.
Residents' complaints and licensing review
Ten local residents had formally requested a licensing review, arguing that Boxpark had become a permanent nuisance. They claimed drinkers were frequently “disgorged” into Shoreditch's streets late at night, leading to noise, public urination, fights, and drug-taking. At a licensing committee hearing on July 14, long-time resident Joanna Gray described the noise as “intrusive, disruptive” and questioned whether Boxpark was “responsible enough” to hold its licence. Another resident called the venue a “massive open-air bar and club” that was inherently unable to mitigate noise.
The site, which opened in 2011 as London's first Boxpark, has operated under a 'meanwhile use' scheme, meaning its licence was always intended as temporary. This history frustrated neighbours, who felt the venue had overstayed its welcome. Louise Garrett, claiming to represent 150 residents, said concerns came from long-standing neighbours, “not newbies or NIMBYs”. She noted, “We were told Boxpark would be temporary, and it’s been here 14 years. We feel like it’s been imposed on us, in effect, by the back door.” She also pointed to the increasing use of late-night Temporary Event Notices (TENs) as making life “almost impossible”.
Boxpark's defence and council decision
Boxpark's management argued that its operating hours aligned with local licensing policy and that there had been no licence breaches. Notably, neither the police, the licensing authority, nor Environmental Health teams supported the residents' complaints. The venue highlighted noise-limiting systems installed in 2023, with decibel limits “set in agreement with local residents”, and offered to conduct noise testing inside neighbouring flats, an offer residents rejected on privacy grounds.
In its decision, Hackney's licensing sub-committee concluded there was insufficient evidence that Boxpark caused public nuisance severe enough to warrant revoking or suspending its licence. Instead, the committee imposed new conditions: regular community meetings at least every three months and a 24/7 helpline and email for residents. This outcome allows Boxpark to continue its music programme while addressing community concerns through dialogue.
