Carnival sound system banned due to safety fears

A Notting Hill Carnival sound system will not be allowed to operate this year due to "public nuisance and safety concerns" after the applicant failed to turn up to a council licensing committee hearing.

Kensington and Chelsea Council issued the Starliner Diamond Sound System and Bar Site with a counter-notice, effectively rejecting its application for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).

The decision was made after the applicant, Noel Gardner, did not attend a licensing meeting on 27 May or provide a risk assessment or event management plan.

The system usually plays to festival-goers at the junction of Appleford Road and Bosworth Road.

The committee agreed that in the absence of Mr Gardner and the required paperwork, it would refuse the application on the grounds of preventing public nuisance and ensuring public safety.

The council's legal officer said a risk assessment and event management plan were essential for the committee to make an informed decision on the TEN.

She also said Notting Hill Carnival Ltd was expected to sign off on all TENs for sound systems and associated bars, a new requirement being implemented this year.

It is the second sound system to be banned ahead of 2025's carnival. Volcano's licence was revoked after a man had a bottle smashed over his head last year.

Notting Hill Carnival is Europe's biggest street festival, and is second only to Rio de Janiero's worldwide, attracting well over a million visitors.

The event takes place annually in the north of the borough each August Bank Holiday weekend.

According to Time Out, Starliner Diamond Sound System has been supplying drum-shaking reggae, soca, afro-beats and funky soul for more than 40 years.

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