Birmingham's busking ban divides the city

Local TV

A new Public Spaces Protection Order has banned busking with instruments or amplification across central Birmingham. The council says it’s about tackling noise, but musicians call it a “draconian” blow to culture.

Transcript

00:01The heart of the city now sounds quieter, some say emptier.

00:05Birmingham City Council's new PSPO bans amplified instruments and speakers across central streets

00:11after years of complaints from shops and residents.

00:14The authority insists it's not an attack on music,

00:17but a response to what it calls persistent and unreasonable noise.

00:22For business owners it's been a relief.

00:24Many described daily migraines and shouting over performers to hear customers.

00:29The central bid says staff and shoppers alike have noticed calmer streets and clearer conversations,

00:35claiming the change has already improved the customer experience.

00:40But to street musicians that quiet feels like a warning bell.

00:45They say it's not just performances being silenced, it's livelihoods.

00:49The petition against the crackdown has topped 1,500 signatures,

00:53backed by the Keep Streets Live campaign and even Pete Doherty.

00:57Council officers defend the order as lawful and necessary,

01:01saying previous attempts at compromise, like voluntary noise codes, failed to stop disruption.

01:07They point to London's stricter schemes and recent court rulings on noise as precedent,

01:13arguing the city has no legal route to introduce a softer licensed model.

01:18Still, critics warn this could mark a cultural tipping point.

01:22The moment Birmingham trades vibrancy for control,

01:25many fear it could drive performers off the streets altogether,

01:28leaving what was once a lively centre feeling sterile.

01:32Right now Birmingham's battle over busking say something bigger about urban life itself.

01:37What happens when a city starts confusing order with silence?

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