BUSKERS in Abergavenny and other towns in Monmouthshire will be expected to adhere to the terms of a strict Code of Conduct after the document was approved by a County Council licensing meeting on Tuesday.

The need for the Code was highlighted following complaints that some street performers played all day from a single location and repeated the same short selection of songs over and over again as well as increasing sound levels to compete with fellow buskers.

Now the Monmouthshire Busking Code of Conduct, approved at a meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, has set firm guidelines covering sound levels, quality of entertainment and siting of performers.

The document has been agreed by a partnership group including the Council’s Licensing Section, Gwent Police, managers and staff of retail premises and representatives of the buskers themselves.

Police had received a number of complaints regarding buskers who regularly visited Abergavenny Town Centre in the summer of 2017 and were reportedly seen and heard playing the same limited number of tunes all day from the same spot.

When more buskers appeared, the close proximity would often result in a cacophony of mixed songs with performers increasing amplification in attempts to drown each other out. Officers were called to numerous business premises from High Street and Nevill Street to complain because the music was at a high volume.

Meetings were held with shop owners at Abergavenny Police Station to hear their complaints, which centred around volume, poor quality music, repetitive music, duration of performance, obstruction of shop entrances, use of public benches and rudeness when approached.

Police reported that they tried to approach some buskers who were reported for nuisance in order to deal with the complaint. However, later the same day or the following week the busker often returned to cause the same or similar problems.

A town centre charity shop worker told the Chronicle that she and another volunteer had asked not to be put on the roster during days when buskers were active as the noise was just too much. ‘After half an hour you could predict which song was coming next - and it was shouting more than singing. Everyone coming into the shop was asking how we put up with it.’

Another charity shop on Frogmore Street informed Council licensing and Police that volunteer staff refused to work on certain days because the buskers outside the premises were causing such a nuisance it was unbearable.

The charity shop also has a quiet room for people struggling with illness or bereavement. This room became unusable on certain days if the busker performed outside all day and refused to move away from the premises. As a result of this incident, the council has assured the shop that the area is now out of bounds for busking purposes.

Buskers who entertain throughout the year have widely welcomed the new code. Usk-based Jim Ramsey is a popular figure in Abergavenny who plays guitar and sings from an extensive repertoire 2-3 times a week in the Town Centre as well as having a residency at the King’s Arms pub.

He stated, ‘I know there have been complaints in the past about a small number of buskers, but if the new guide helps to raise standards and provide better entertainment for the public then it has to be a good thing.’

Monmouthshire County Council’s head of public protection, David Jones, said, ‘Monmouthshire welcomes buskers. We hope that talented performers continue to perform in our thriving town centres and follow the Code of Conduct.

‘The document will act as a guide for buskers to follow, to enable busking to be conducted peacefully to enhance our town’s culture without generating nuisance or other complaints.’

Local residents meanwhile have rushed to the defence of the town’s buskers praising the high standard of musicians who entertain shoppers.