Stanley noise row continues amid looming 'hard deadline'

A council boss has promised his authority is working to resolve its row with a football club over noise from its function suites as residents express concern over lack of action.

Hyndburn’s political leader Cllr Munsif Dad spoke out after residents living near Accrington Stanley’s Wham Stadium contacted the local newspaper about the lack of enforcement action over the club’s Coley’s Bar and the 1968 Lounge.

They want to know what the authority is doing to tackle noise problems at the two suites which the council discovered in 2022 had not been built in accordance with their 2020 planning permission.

In October 2024 the club’s appeal against the authority’s refusal of backdated planning permission was rejected and in March this year live and amplified music from Coley’s Bar and the 1968 Lounge was banned forcing them to close other than on match days.

In recent days the Lancashire Telegraph has been contacted by several residents alarmed by the national ‘four year rule’ which means that Hyndburn Council need to act by March 2026 as after this date, the development would become immune from enforcement action.

The authority’s Conservative group leader Cllr Zak Khan has accused its Labour administration of ‘dither and delay’ on the issue.

Cllr Dad said: “The council continues to engage in positive discussions with Accrington Stanley FC to find a positive resolution for both the club and the residents to the current situation with Coley’s Bar and the 1968 Lounge.”

Accrington Stanley’s chief executive Warren Eastham is similarly tight-lipped saying: “Our discussions with Hyndburn Council remain private and will remain so for the foreseeable future.”

One resident said: “The planning department have taken enforcement action against other building owners and businesses in Hyndburn – whilst leaving Accrington Stanley immune.

“I implore the council to at least issue an enforcement notice so that this ‘four year rule’ doesn’t come into effect.

“It’s been a year and a half since the planning inspectorate denied Accrington Stanley’s planning appeal.

“Why have the football club been given special treatment?”

Another said: “Hyndburn Council are letting Accrington Stanley use function rooms frequented by the general public without planning permission.

“This has been going on for nearly four years.

“Who at Hyndburn Council is stopping the council officers at planning and environmental protection from doing their job?”

Cllr Khan said: “This is just another example of dither and delay by our Labour council.

“They just want to kick it down the road.

“A hard deadline of March is coming up.

“The people of Hyndburn and I want to know when this dispute is going to be resolved so our club can move forward, invest and succeed in its vision for a bright future.”