Cape Town to hold clubs liable for noisy patrons

Nightclub bosses may in future be held responsible for noisy patrons leaving their establishments and could lose their business licences if they fail to keep rowdiness in check.

Yesterday the Good Hope sub-council approved an amendment to one of the standard conditions on a nightclub's application for a business licence.

It previously stated that there should be "no noise outbreak from the building to a public space or street". It has now been extended to include "patrons arriving or departing" - pending the green light from city lawyers.

Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said that when patrons left nightspots to "cause havoc" in the streets, proprietors washed their hands of the problem.

He suggested there should be no more "automatic" renewals of business and liquor licences.

Sub-council chairman Taki Amira asked whether taking responsibility for noise outside an establishment could be made a condition of the granting of a licence.

City health official Bettie Leedo said that once patrons left an establishment, it became hard to identify where they had been and consequently the business owner responsible.

Councillor Belinda Walker said she had witnessed a club warning departing patrons to be quiet after it had been threatened with the loss of its liquor licence.

Meanwhile, a report before the sub-council recommended that the health department investigate the implementation of noise control regulations in the city.

It noted that the redevelopment of the CBD had resulted in an increasing number of mixed-use developments, leading to more complaints about noise pollution.

National building regulations did not make provision for the installation of noise-screening devices, the report said.

However, the city's own regulations did under certain circumstances provide for the installation of such devices, and the health department was asked to investigate.