Spoiling it for the rest

RESIDENTS in Reading are complaining that though the music of the Reading Festival has finished, boaters have remained moored on the the Thames still making their own music, much to residents annoyance.

To prevent this happening in the future, Reading Borough Council is considering a ban on mooring on the stretch of the Thames at the August Bank Holiday Festival weekend, Mick Fitzgibbons tells us.

Noisy sound systems

The residents' association in Caversham, near the site of the shows, has complained for some years about boaters and their noisy sound systems.

Robin Bentham, Chairman of the association told Get Reading:

"It is not that we are against boaters mooring during the festival, but there are one or two who have high-powered sound systems who carry on making music long after the festival music is finished.

"And it takes time after a complaint for the council or the police to get someone down there to do something about it—so it can go on for a long time. If somebody starts a rave in the campsite on the festival site, then their security can do something about it. But this is outside the festival ground."

Two boats

It seems that there are just two boats that are creating the noise, and spoiling it for the rest,  both of which have moored by the festival showground, with a generator powering an amplifier and speakers, with the noise carrying to nearby houses.

The council is in touch with the Environment Agency with a view to investigating how a ban on mooring can be enforced.