Banging the drums - noise from the school

A number of residents in Ben Jonson House and in Breton House are being disturbed by what seems to be a new outdoor music play and teaching area at the Prior Weston school on the Golden Lane Campus.  This has been discussed on Barbican Talk.

Here are the words of one resident.

Persistent Percussion Problems from Prior Weston 

The noises emanating from Prior Weston School over the last few weeks might have led BJH residents to conclude that the new 'Centre for Music' was already up and running. 

In fact, the recurrent (some would say constant!) percussion sounds are not attributable to the LSO but to very young children who are being given access to drums, chimes, bells, tambourines, and cymbals in the out-of-doors covered play area at street level.   

Unsurprisingly, the instruments have been beaten with considerable gusto between 9 am and mid afternoon ever since the first day of the new school year on 8 September. 

For at least some residents in earshot who are at home during the day, the loud noises have been distracting, distressing and even maddening, judging from comments on Barbican Talk. The crashing cymbals are especially nerve-shattering, but the rhythmic drum beats and jangling bells are equally hard to ignore. 

Contact was made with the School by a couple of residents early on, but to no avail. Islington Council was also alerted, and the result was a 'noise diary' kept over two weeks at the request of the Council which (along with some recordings) provided evidence of how frequent and disruptive the percussion sounds can be.  

A meeting between the School, BJH and Breton reps, the chair of the Barbican Association, and affected residents will take place on Tuesday 4 October, and the need to keep musical instruments indoors and out of the hearing range of local residents will be emphasised.

The 4th October meeting mentioned above will be held at the school and will be attended by representatives of the school, representatives of the house groups and a number of directly affected residents.  There is one remaining slot for a resident affected by this noise in Ben Jonson House.  Let me know (ben.jonson.hg at gmail.com) if you would like to attend.