The use of amplified sound equipment in Bury town centre is set to be banned after complaints over "disturbances from buskers".

An application for a public spaces protection order (PSPO) covering the town centre is set to be passed by the council's cabinet next week.

The order will include the ban of "any amplified sound equipment, speakers and microphones" and means that alcohol consumption in the town centre in a public place will still be prohibited.

But these recommendations would be exempt if the council give permission to "any individual who is wanting to hold a specific event or festival".

A report prepared ahead of the cabinet meeting said: "Bury Council and Greater Manchester Police have received complaints from members of the public and local businesses with regards to disturbances from buskers in Bury town centre.

"In addition to this there are regular complaints from members of the public and TfGM (Transport for Greater Manchester) regarding people who are drinking alcohol in open spaces, causing anti-social behaviour, harassment, and intimidation.

"Due to these complaints, investigations have been carried out and work with partners has been done, to come to the best resolution to enable members of the public to enjoy Bury town centre.

"This report has been produced in conjunction with the Bury Business Improvement District, who endorse the recommendations."

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Following the "disturbances" the "excessive noise" caused for residents and businesses, an initial request was lodged with the council to "ban busking altogether". 

But after talks it was "agreed that busking brings positives as well as negatives, therefore the banning of amplified equipment was agreed as it is the volume of the busking that was reported as causing the most concern".

Between June 2021 and September 2021, town centre visitors outlined issues they experienced "regarding the effect busking has had on the quality of their life".

A four-week public consultation was then launched covering businesses in the Mill Gate Shopping Centre, The Rock and nearby residents as well as online.

The survey included a set of questions in which people shared their thoughts and led to a mixed response.

The report added: "It was quite clear from the results that busking in Bury town centre was seen an issue for many of the respondents, however there was also clear evidence that members of the public appreciated the fact that busking was part and parcel of the culture of Bury and that they wanted it to remain.

"With the split being roughly 50/50 further work was undertaken with stakeholder to agree the most appropriate recommendation in relation to busking.

"It was agreed that busking itself could be a positive for Bury town centre and has been shown to bring footfall to the centre due to the positive environment it creates.

"That said, it was agreed that for some this is perceived as a nuisance which needs to be addressed so that all who visit and live in Bury town centre can enjoy the experience."

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The council says that the recommendation to allow busking to continue as long as speakers or amplified equipment is banned will "still allow people to express themselves musically, with the noise levels being at a reasonable level".

Most consultation respondents also felt "drinking alcohol in the street was an issue in the town centre and was having a negative impact on their enjoyment".

But the report added: "That said, less than half felt that the problem had got worse in the last three years which suggested that the current PSPO was having an impact on deterring people from drinking alcohol in public spaces".

Bury's Conservative Party leader, Cllr Russell Bernstein, also backs the recommendations for the order.

He said: “I am totally supportive of the PSPO as outlined in the Cabinet papers.

"I think it is a balanced and proportionate approach based on feedback from the public consultation which was undertaken in the latter part of last year which builds on the existing PSPO.

"I welcome anything that reduces anti-social behaviour and encourages the use of local public spaces.”

The council also discussed "chugging" (charity collections) but it was agreed not to include it as part of the public consultation or the PSPO application.

There are already arrangements in place with charities to restrict the number of collectors in the same area.