Buskers in Trafford’s town centres could face a new code of conduct to prevent ‘nuisance’.
Trafford council has launched a consultation into plans to introduce new rules for buskers and street performers in Altrincham, in particular.
The authority is inviting responses from residents, performers, businesses and other interested parties to the proposals relating to street entertainers in the town.
The council said it recognises that buskers ‘can be an important part of the culture of the town but that they should not have a negative impact on their surrounding area by causing a nuisance to local people or interfering with the running of businesses’.
Residents are now being asked to log onto the council’s consultation page to give their views on the proposed new code of conduct by answering a small number of questions related to buskers.
The council said the code is aimed at balancing the interests of all parties.
Potential rules include proposals for acts to perform at a reasonable volume, not cause obstruction, and never to use amplified sound, drums or street furniture.
As part of the code, buskers would also be asked to maintain a 50 metre gap between one another, be prepared to change location should they impact on people in the area, and apply for a street collection licence if they are performing for charity.
Coun Graham Whitham, Trafford council’s executive member for communities and partnerships, said: “We do recognise that buskers can be an important cultural addition to Altrincham and that people enjoy listening to them playing when they are in the town centre.
“But public space is there for everyone to enjoy and we want to ensure that we can manage any negative impact resulting from busking like very loud music and obstruction of property and pathways.
“I would appreciate it if as many people as possible go to our consultation page to give their views on the situation regarding buskers and street performers. We, as a council will always take your views on board and they will be reflected in our code of conduct accordingly. “
The consultation closes on April 6 and can be accessed here.
