London councillors delay changes to noise bylaw enforcement for amplified concert events

City politicians have temporarily silenced a recommendation to re-introduce escalating fines for outdoor concerts that break London’s noise bylaw.

During a meeting of the strategic priorities and policy committee on Monday, councillors voted 12-2 to refer the issue back to staff.

Staff had recommended not only hefty fines, but organizers of events like Rock the Park and Sunfest would also be at risk of losing the use of their venue if they repeatedly break the rules.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you'll never miss the day's top stories.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Get Started

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Ward 11 Coun. Stephen Turner argued the issue of escalating fines isn’t about being against fun.

“I think we need to be careful about framing this as kind of ‘anti-fun,'” said Turner. “The special events policy allows for an exception to the noise bylaw, it allows for volumes of up to 90 decibels, it allows for a series of other provisions.”

READ MORE: Committee approves London culture districts, says no to looser noise bylaws

Ward 13 Coun. Tanya Park, who represents the downtown, said she’s trying to find a balance for all her constituents.

“I’ve got folks that have been living in the downtown or the neighbourhoods surrounding it for 40 or more years, and I’ve also got new folks coming into the downtown that look at me and say ‘now what? I’m down here for all of the excitement and everything and I just want to know what happens next in Harris Park or Victoria Park and that sort of thing,’ so the position that I’m in, I’m trying to strike balance with what I’m doing.”

Share this on X Click to share quote on X: "I've got folks that have been living in the downtown or the neighbourhoods surrounding it for 40 or more years, and I've also got new folks coming into the downtown that look at me and say 'now what? I'm down here for all of the excitement and everything and I just want to know what happens next in Harris Park or Victoria Park and that sort of thing,' so the position that I'm in, I'm trying to strike balance with what I'm doing."

Councillors were told four of 34 events monitored by city officials broke the 90-decibel noise limit last year.