Town buskers handed official guidance to perform

Guidance has been released for buskers performing in Reading town centre

Buskers in a town centre will have to comply with a code of conduct to perform.

Reading Borough Council has backed guidance for performers after a consultation and "feedback" gathered by Reading Business Improvement District (BID).

The authority said the town's atmosphere was "often enhanced by talented buskers", but some can "detract rather than enhance" people's visits.

A guide has been released that details how buskers and businesses can work together to "understand how they can add to the vibrancy" to Reading.

The guidance states: "Buskers and street performers should consider their intended presence, performance and location carefully to avoid generating unnecessary complaints.

"Songs should not be repeated and performers should be considerate with the volume used."

Reading BID has released the document as part of anti-social behaviour (ASB) awareness week.

Manager Alexa Volker said: "We hope that busking brings and added benefit to your visit, but we do know from some negative feedback that sometimes it doesn't and sometimes the noise levels can be too high.

"This is why we have worked with the council and done a public and business consultation that has pulled together a guide that we have been using with businesses and with our local buskers."

Ms Volker said the aim of the guide was to help businesses understand buskers "are a great addition to our town".

"We hope this guide will help buskers tone down their volume and also for our retailers to be able to engage with those buskers, just so that each can understand how they can add to the vibrancy of our town centre."