Greenwich Council has granted a premises licence for a 5,000-capacity open-air venue in Charlton Riverside, despite strong objections from its own noise team. The decision was made at a Licensing Sub-Committee A meeting on August 19, according to the Local Democracy Reporter.
Noise officer warns of resident complaints
A council noise officer expressed concern that concrete under the Stone Foundries site off Woolwich Road could cause music to reverberate, disturbing residents in nearby Atlas Gardens and Derrick Gardens. He predicted these residents would "complain straight away." The officer, identified as Community Protection Officer Nick Dornan, noted that these buildings are over 100 years old, some 120 years old, and are "not very well built."
CW Bases Ltd, the applicant, will operate the venue for events including concerts, corporate meetings, and boxing matches. The venue will be allowed to open from 9am to 11pm daily, with alcohol sales and music permitted until 10.30pm. However, the licence comes with a series of strict conditions agreed upon with the Met Police and the council.
Event restrictions and conditions
In 2026, no more than three events exceeding 1,000 attendees will be allowed, and no events with over 3,000 people will take place that year. From 2027, the venue can host a maximum of 10 events with over 1,000 people, of which six may exceed 3,000 attendees. Management must notify the council of these larger events six months in advance.
Additional conditions prohibit events on the same day as a Charlton Athletic home fixture without prior approval. CW Bases must also provide a detailed dispersal plan outlining how attendees will leave the venue and travel home, with many expected to use Charlton Station, which is unstaffed from 8pm.
Police, licensing, and health and safety officials agreed to these conditions, which they felt addressed their initial concerns. The Met Police had originally warned of "a real risk of dangerous overcrowding at Charlton Station." However, the council's Community Protection Team maintained its objection, stating it "wasn't happy" until a new noise report was conducted, as the original report applied to an indoor venue, not an outdoor one.
Applicant's response and future plans
Hugo Kibasi, manager for the new premises, acknowledged the noise concerns as "very valid" and "an issue in every location fundamentally." He said, "If there's a framework agreed, there's a framework agreed and we have to work within that." Mr. Dornan, however, doubted the venue could achieve the desired noise levels, adding, "The big music events do worry us."
Mr. Kibasi said the applicant had "worked constructively" with the police and environmental health teams, and none maintained their initial objections. He described the venue's event mix as "diverse," including corporate meetings, fashion shows, music concerts, theatre performances, and food festivals, with most events not being music-led.
Mr. Kibasi admitted CW Bases had not consulted local residents, but they would be willing to do so once the venue opened. No opening date has been set yet. He concluded: "From our perspective, being able to operate as a venue is important to continue having it as an ongoing venture. We can only do that if we have the support of the community and if we obtain our premises licence and from our perspective we need to do everything we can to mitigate [noise concerns] and at all points we would consider what that local impact is. Our belief is that we can positively and collaboratively work together to bring something that adds value to the local area and the local community, and we can do that in a safe, respectful and collaborative manner both with all the responsible authorities but also local businesses and local residents."
