► Collingwood, 23 Mar: 'Completely sleepless night'
Updated: Sep 18, 2020
(18077) Student party in upper part of house on east side, near south end of street, Fri/Sat, 22/23 March 2019. This went ahead despite efforts to persuade the students to change their event, and warnings they were likely to face a complaint if the party went beyond midnight, which it did.
A resident has complained to the University of Bristol about the event, having expressed concerns to the university and the students before it took place.
I went with her to talk to the students on the evening before the party, which had been notified in advance to residents. She outlined her concerns, including the fact her elderly father would be staying with her, and would be sleeping in the bedroom facing the student house, which is across the street from hers.
I explained in detail the university's rules and guidelines about parties, and handed the students a printed summary of key points. We suggested they start winding down the event at about 11-30pm (in order to be "quiet by midnight") and move on to a different venue. We particularly stressed not just the issue of music volume but also whether they could sufficiently control the noise and behaviour of guests. They said they expected about 50 people.
Cotham councillor Anthony Negus also discussed the proposed party in a meeting with the council's Neighbourhood Enforcement Team held in the wake of the Rokeby Avenue incident.
I monitored the party on the night. The beat music was kept relatively low and some of the arriving guests appeared to be making conscious attempts to be quiet, although these efforts were often undermined when they arrived at the front door and loud greetings ensued. About 40 people turned up during the time I was observing, which wasn't continuous. A particularly raucous group arrived around 00:30am, with two people pushing a shopping cart, containing a third person, at pace down the street, accompanied by much noise. The cart was abandoned. Later, there were people talking, sometimes loudly, on the front steps of the property.
The resident complained next day that her father had had a "completely sleepless night ... The music went on till 2am and the noise from the party till after 3am." In a later email, to me, she added: "I am so angry. My poor father is really not feeling well."