Rock the Park needs to decrease the noise or increase its budget.

City hall has stated Harris Park will be off-limits to the outdoor music festival known as Rock the Park. After receiving numerous noise complaints during the event in previous years, City officials have asked the festival to turn down the volume.

As a potential solution, the City is recommending a $5,000 deposit from Rock the Park.

Having violated the community’s noise bylaw for the past two years, current provisions state the festival will not be permitted to be held in the park this summer, but an amendment to the bylaw has been proposed. If noise bylaws are violated for a third time, the $5,000 security deposit will be forfeited and the money will go to the City.

“Some people complained the music was so loud they couldn’t talk or watch television,” David Winninger, committee chairperson for Rock the Park, said. “But other people like to sit out on their deck and enjoy the concert. We get both kinds of responses.”

In terms of the London community, Winninger emphasized concerts like this are “good for the city,” as they support the arts and enforce London’s identity as a creative city.

“We also have to be mindful that people want to quietly enjoy their property, and [concerts like Rock the Park] can interfere,” he added.

The change in regulation will go before the city council’s community and protective services on Monday.

—Lauren Nisbet