Barnet hearing over Jewish school hall’s ‘impossibly noisy’ events
Council to hold session after local complaints about events held at Talmud Torah Tiferes Shlomo including weddings and barmitzvahs, with large numbers of guests
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
A rare hearing of Barnet Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee is due to be held on Thursday November 11, to consider the continued intention by a Jewish boys’ school in Hendon to let out its hall for simchas and communal events.
Angry residents of Danescroft Avenue, a cul-de-sac in Hendon, have complained that since June this year, the Talmud Torah Tiferes Shlomo school, which occupies the former Hendon Reform Synagogue building, has been renting out its hall for “impossibly noisy” events, including weddings and barmitzvahs, with large numbers of guests.
One neighbour told the Jewish News: “We want to make a distinction between the school and the hall. We have no issue with the school, and in fact many neighbours are very supportive of it. The problem is the letting of the hall, which the school say brings it extra revenue — but they have admitted themselves that it is not possible to use the hall without serious disruption”.
Neighbours have told JN of “massive disturbances” on the nights that the hall has been used, with catering trucks, huge amounts of traffic unsuitable for a quiet road, and noise from music and guests standing outside the hall until the early hours of the morning.
Initially, after a petition was circulated in June by residents, an “Unlawful Certificate” was issued by Barnet Council relating to large events with external catering and more than 75 guests.
But because this was a civil, rather than a criminal, matter, the council’s planning department appeared reluctant to enforce this ruling — and so it was ignored by council and hall owners alike.
The residents decided to approach the council’s licensing department on the grounds that alcohol, music and food were being made freely available without proper permission. In response, the school applied for Temporary Event Notices, or TENs, one-off licences applicable to individual events. The school would be entitled to 15 separate such TENs in a year.
Residents declared that this was “ludicrous. Since the only parties which can oppose a TEN are the police or Environmental Noise and Nuisance, it was decided to prove to ENN the level of disruption taking place every time there was an event in the school’s hall”.
The residents provided photographs and video footage, including images of loading trucks in the small street, before and after events. The council decided it had enough material to object to the school’s next application for a TEN — understood to be an upcoming event on November 20.
One resident said: “We understand that the school wants to increase its revenue but this is not the way to do it. Young children are constantly woken up, older residents find the presence of so many people somewhat intimidating. We have implored people who are considering hiring the school hall to look at other venues — and if the school loses at Thursday’s hearing, then of course those who have booked weddings or other simchas may find it too late to switch venues.”
A Barnet Council spokesman said: “In terms of this application, it is possible for premises to apply for a Temporary Event Notice to allow them to sell alcohol and provide entertainment without having to apply for a full premises licence. If they apply, certain responsible authorities can make representations within a prescribed timescale.
“In this case, it looks like the school has already used a couple of TENs in the past for other events which have resulted in noise complaints from neighbours. Environmental Health say that the school has not engaged with them about this and possible mitigations. This is why it’s at a hearing”.
The JN has asked for comment from the school.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
