A South London rugby club is facing backlash from residents after applying to extend its clubhouse opening hours until midnight, but insists it’s had only one noise complaint in total. Locals fear the plan will bring more noise and disruption, but the club insists it will have ‘very little, if any, impact’.
Old Emmanuel Rugby Football Club (OERFC), which has served the Raynes Park area since 1909, offers rugby for all ages and levels, including a popular men’s team. However, the club’s proposal to extend its opening hours from 11pm to midnight, seven days a week, has sparked concern from nearby residents, who argue it will disturb the peace of the quiet, residential area. Some people have claimed they’ve been disturbed by shouting and singing as people walk along the street to get in Ubers.
Taunton Road and Somerset Avenue residents have voiced strong objections to Merton Council’s Licensing Committee. Judy Ng, a local resident, said: “The area has become a hub for late-night drinking, which is inappropriate for a residential neighbourhood.”
Residents say UBER traffic builds up at the end of Taunton Avenue when the club is running events
(Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)
Fellow residents Richard and Pascale Evans agreed, warning that the extra hour of drinking would only add to the noise and disruption, particularly at night. Liz Errington detailed previous disturbances she claimed were caused by the club’s patrons, including noise from shouting, singing, and car doors slamming. She also expressed concern that the extended hours could encourage drinkers from other local venues to congregate at the club.
Another point of contention is the build-up of Uber drivers at the end of Taunton Road, as drivers reportedly refuse to drive down the street. Richard and Pascale Evans highlighted the noise from people waiting for rides, especially in the summer when windows are open.
They said: “The Ubers don’t go into the grounds, they park by the corner of Taunton and Somerset Avenue or people wait for their Ubers, this can result in a huge amount of noise as people queue and are very loud. I know other club grounds where people are directed via less residential areas to exit and ensure the noise is not too much for residents.”
One resident also described the club’s plans to extend its opening hours as ‘stealthy’, considering the council already rejected a previous attempt to extend the licensing hours. In his objection, Vinay Reddy said: “When the club initially moved to the sports ground, they applied for a later licence but it was agreed that, in the interests of residents, a closure of midnight was late enough.
“The club made some promises that have not happened. They said they would hold regular meetings with residents to keep them informed about events and reassure them that they would operate considerately to ensure that residents would not be disturbed. It’s very disappointing that they haven’t kept these promises and now we find they are applying for a later licence by seeing a small sign on a post.”
Despite this, the club insists it has worked well with residents and listened to and acted upon their concerns. OERFC Chairman Justin Latta told the LDRS of the club’s limited history of noise complaints.
He said: “We understand that a small number of residents may have some concerns about the proposed extension. Since being granted the club licence, we have received one complaint about noise. This was caused by a guest of a member opening a fire exit in the hall, allowing noise to escape.
The Old Emanuel Rugby Football Club runs fundraising events throughout the year to ensure ‘money is never a barrier to playing rugby’
(Image: Harrison Galliven/LDRS)
“This complaint was addressed within 10 minutes of being received and has not happened again. We, therefore, believe that the extension will have very little, if any, impact on our neighbours.
“However, we remain willing to work constructively with the residents of our local community to discuss any additional measures that they feel may be appropriate, and we encourage them to contact the club directly.”
Latta also told the LDRS how, if granted, the club intends to use its extended opening hours to facilitate more fundraising events for the club and community. He said: “This is so that we have flexibility in the timings of events that we host for our members: for example, wine tastings, quiz nights and comedy nights, which help raise funds for our club.
“All of the surplus from these events is invested in the provision of sport, including funding free memberships for families in financial difficulty, ensuring that money is never a barrier to playing rugby.”
Merton councillors will hear representations from both sides during the council’s Licensing Committee meeting next Monday (January 20). Their decision will be published by the end of the week.
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