Lewisham musician leaves home after noise complaints

The classical musician says she has lost work and had to give up playing some instruments due to complaints

A professional musician says she had no choice but to leave her flat after a council handed her a noise abatement notice.

Fiona Fey received the notice two weeks ago after a string of complaints from one neighbour in Lewisham, south London

The notice prohibits her from playing all instruments at home at any time.

Lewisham Council said: "We do not make decisions like this lightly and tried to avoid enforcement."

It added: "When we tried to explore reasonable offers and solutions to find a balance, the tenant refused to engage and we received multiple further complaints."

Ms Fey, a member of classical choir Mediaeval Baebes, told the BBC she started to receive noise complaints from a neighbour downstairs after two months of living in her flat.

She agreed to compromise with the neighbour and said she "stopped playing almost all of my instruments other than a guitar and a low whistle that is the same volume as a vacuum cleaner".

"When my neighbours got nasty, I contacted the council to find out if I was breaking the law."

She said that the council told her "you sound guilty to me or you wouldn't be calling".

Ms Fey decided to move out of her flat after she was issued with a noise abatement notice that prohibits her from playing any instruments.

She said that the council warned that if the notice was broken it could force entry into her property, confiscate instruments and issue a fine of up to £5,000.

Fiona Fey is part of a chart-topping classical music choir

She added: "This has had a taken a huge emotional toll and placed an enormous financial strain on me.

"I was made to feel self conscious and anxious every time I played my music.

"I had almost finished recording an album but now I can't use my recording equipment as it is in a storage unit.

"I am currently living with friends and I don't know how I will find a new place to live as there's nowhere I can afford."

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Lewisham Council said: "We have been aware of noise issues at a residence since November 2022 involving loud music, playing of instruments and singing, resulting in numerous complaints.

"The tenant refused to agree to a good neighbour agreement or rehearsal times to prevent further concerns.

"Lewisham Homes instructed a professional witness who attended the complainant's home in February 2023.

"The report confirmed that the music from the residence was audible within the complainant's home and was at an unreasonable level."

Another semi-professional musician living in Lewisham also told the BBC the council had issued him with a community protection notice that stops him from playing any instrument in the house at any time of the day.

He said: "It's heart-breaking, music is my livelihood and the fact I can't even play my instruments for five minutes in my house is draconian."

The musician, who has taken to practising in his shed, wants the council to have a clear policy on how musicians can practice.

"Lewisham was the borough of culture last year and we want them to recognise that not everyone is rich enough to live in a detached house or own their own recording studio," he said.

"There needs to be a policy that finds a realistic middle point so it's not just neighbours being pitted against each other."

Colin Stuart, the Independent Society of Musicians head of external affairs, said: "Musicians contribute so much to our cultural life and the economy.

"Fundamentally, musicians must have the right to practise for professional work or for leisure.

"The ISM supports members when faced with noise complaints regularly, and reasonable solutions between local authorities, neighbours and musicians can usually be found with dialogue.

"Noise Abatement Notices can be devastating and it's simply wrong to use them to effectively ban musicians from practising at home at all."