Southsea Cinema fights to keep bank holiday events this summer

Plans for reggae, DJs and a late-night bank holiday party at Southsea Cinema will go before councillors after environmental health raised noise concerns.

Portsmouth City Council’s licensing subcommittee will meet on Monday, July 20 to consider an objection to a Temporary Event Notice submitted by Southsea Community Cinema and Arts Centre in Palmerston Road.

The venue wants to hold a DJ event on Friday, August 28, a live reggae event on Saturday, August 29, and a private party on Sunday, August 30. Each event would run until 1am.

The objection was submitted by Carolyn Tanner, lead regulatory services officer for environmental protection. She said there had been a history of noise complaints and pointed to a recent noise abatement notice served on the venue.

In her objection, Ms Tanner said: “The objection is based on clear, historical and recent premises specific evidence following protracted engagement with the licensee.

“On 29 May 2026 Portsmouth City Council served a Noise Abatement Notice on Portsmouth Film Society CIC in respect of Southsea Community Cinema & Arts Centre.

” Music and heavy bass beat emanating from the premises had caused and was likely to cause nuisance to occupiers of neighbouring premises, and required the recurrence of that nuisance to be prohibited forthwith.

“The associated investigation confirms that, following the installation of noise monitoring equipment within a neighbouring residential property, amplified music including heavy, pronounced bass was recorded on May 24, 2026 at levels constituting a statutory nuisance.”

She added: “Taking these matters together the recent Noise Abatement Notice, the confirmed nuisance from amplified music and heavy bass, the structural limitations of the building, the immediate proximity of residential accommodation, the established restriction on operating hours to protect amenity, the evidence of late night activity beyond those hours, and the increased impact arising from operation into the early hours Regulatory Services is satisfied that there is a real and significant likelihood that the proposed event would result in public nuisance.”

The committee must decide whether the events support the licensing objectives set out in the Licensing Act 2003. It can also issue a counter notice to stop the events from going ahead.

Aysegul Epengin, director of Portsmouth Film Society, defended the venue.

In a statement submitted to the subcommittee she said: “During the last four and a half years, we have never had any incidents, fights, or public disorder at our venue. We are proud to provide a safe space for people who visit us both during the day and at night. The only noise complaints we have received have come from the second floor resident, and we are actively taking steps to reduce bass levels, as explained in the email below. No other residents have contacted us with noise complaints during the last four years.

“I am concerned that the noise complaints appear inconsistent. It seems unusual that whenever we hold a private party using exactly the same sound system, which is not publicly advertised, we do not receive any complaints”.

“Please also note that Portsmouth Film Society CIC survives because of our music events, not because of national or local grant funding. In fact, we have not received sufficient funding the last two years to maintain a healthy cash flow.

“If you review our event history, you will see that we organise bass related music events only five or six times each year, and we have never increased the number of these events. Many families attend our daytime events and enjoy the safe environment we provide.”

The hearing comes a few months after the venue applied to extend its opening hours.

The council refused that application on April 22, saying the proposed hours “would, by means of additional noise and activity being generated and insufficiently mitigated, lead to a harmful impact on neighbour amenity.”

Ms Epengin added: “We intend to appeal the planning decision refusing our application to extend our operating hours after we have completed our sound test event on 25 July. We have engaged a professional planning consultant to prepare this appeal. We are committed to taking all necessary measures to satisfy all parties and to minimise any impact on our neighbours.”

The licensing subcommittee will meet on Monday, July 20.