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Live music fans have been celebrating after ministers agreed to a law change which will protect venues against new city centre developments.

Housing secretary Sajid Javid confirmed on Thursday January 18 that the “agent of change principle” will be written into the National Planning Policy Framework, meaning that responsibility lies with housing developers – and not music venues – to ensure residents are protected from outside noise through proper sound-proofing.

Chris Sharp, owner of The Fleece venue, praised the announcement, calling it a “common sense” decision.

Politicians had ramped up the pressure in recent days, with Labour MP John Spellar proposing his own law – Planning (Agent of Change) Bill – which received backing from a cross-party selection of MPs, including from Bristol’s Kerry McCarthy and Thangam Debbonaire, as well as considerable support from big music stars.

Household names such as former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, the Kinks’ Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders all threw their support behind the Bill.

(Image: Steve Parsons/PA Wire)

Out of the main music venues in the city, six – Fiddlers, The Fleece, Thekla, The Louisiana, The Exchange and the O2 Academy – all have flats next to them or plans for them to be built.

Cabinet minister Mr Javid, who grew up in Bristol’s Stapleton Road, said he wanted to “right the wrong” of the soundproofing “burden” being placed on venues in the past.

“I have always thought it unfair that the burden is on long-standing music venues to solve noise issues when property developers choose to build nearby,” said the former Downend School pupil.

Mr Sharp, owner of the 450-capacity former wool shed in Redcliffe, fought a three-year campaign against a plans to convert an office block next to The Fleece into flats.

The conversion went ahead but in 2015 Mr Sharp successfully argued for agent of change to be included in planning guidelines, in what he called “a big breakthrough”. The latest change announced by the Government goes one step further, moving agent of change from a recommendation to a requirement for developers.

The Blue Aeroplanes bassist said the planning protection, which exists already in countries such as Canada, would not give venues “100 per cent protection” but would help other owners at least avoid the struggle he went through.

Mr Sharp said: “It doesn’t mean anything for The Fleece, because the building next to us has already been built. But it is great for venues that are facing what we have been through – it is great for them.

“We were fighting for it even though it was too late for us. It was about the general scene across the UK, so this is really good news.

“It doesn’t provide 100 per cent protection as all you need is one resident to complain still, but it means there is a lot more common sense applied and it is down to the developer to make sure their property is properly soundproofed. It gives us an extra layer of protection, whereas there was none before.”

It was Bristol East MP Ms McCarthy – a live music aficionado who has seen her favourite band, New Order, live 24 times – who brought Mr Sharp to London originally to brief the Labour Party team on the need for agent of change.

The Labour MP said: “I’m sure today’s announcement will be welcomed by music lovers in Bristol, especially those that frequent small music venues like Thekla, the Exchange and the Fleece, which have all come under threat because of this in the past few years.

“The Music Venue Trust (of which I’m a patron) deserves a lot of the credit for starting this campaign – they’ve been brilliant in speaking up for small venues.

“Chris from The Fleece in particular deserves credit for his role, including challenging then-culture minister, Ed Vaizey, over the issue at Music Venues Day 2015 – which really helped plant the idea in the minister’s mind.”

Ms Debbonaire, MP for Bristol West – the constituency most of the city’s smaller venues are in – said the decision meant gig-goers could be safe in the knowledge that their favourite venues have a future.

“These venues and the people who love them no longer have to worry that one new resident next-door can scupper the place and close people’s favourite music venue down – and that is a great and amazing thing,” said the Labour Party whip.

“A tiny adjustment to the law makes a huge difference to music lovers and I’m delighted. The music scene is part of what makes Bristol great.

“We have some big names who have come out of our city – Massive Attack, Portishead and the rest – but they all had to start in small venues. If they don’t exist, we won’t get the big stars of the future. But then people don’t go to venues just to see the next big thing – they go because they love music.”

The professional cellist said agent of change was not an attempt to prevent new housing from being built but instead an extra protection to ensure it was sympathetic to Bristol’s existing cultural scene.

She said: “I want regeneration – I am not a supporter of the ‘Make Bristol sh*t again' campaign. We need regeneration but we have to keep the balance, otherwise we will destroy Bristol’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition) – that we are a city of both culture and counter-culture.

“I think this change is in developers’ interests. They will be able to sell their properties because people want to live in a city centre which has a thriving cultural scene and where they can walk to great venues, bars and restaurants.”