A noise expert investigating the South London restaurant said music from the venue was so loud he could identify tracks by Beyoncé and Chaka Khan while standing inside nearby homes
A Beckenham restaurant has won a major court victory in its fight to keep its premises licence – but faces a fresh battle after a noise expert described its music as “amongst the worst I have ever experienced”.
Pierluigi’s on Beckenham High Street has been embroiled in a battle with Bromley Council to retain its premises licence.
Pierluigi’s had its appeal against the council’s decision to suspend its licence and impose restrictions on music granted earlier this month. The court also overturned a more recent decision to revoke the Italian’s premises licence altogether.
But the council has now provided new evidence from an acoustic engineer who said the noise levels of the restaurant’s music was “amongst the worst I have ever experienced in my time investigating statutory noise nuisance complaints”.
Matt McIlroy, an experienced noise specialist of 13 years and the principal noise and nuisance officer for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, has provided evidence ahead of the hearing after the council instructed him to carry out a Statutory Noise Nuisance Assessment.
He made two visits to Beckenham on the evenings on July 18 and 25 to assess the music coming from Pierluigi’s. He said: “The noise levels experienced on both visits have been amongst the worst I have ever experienced in my time investigating statutory noise nuisance complaints.”
In his witness statements, Mr McIlroy detailed how bed frames, floors and kitchen utensils in a nearby home were vibrating due to the music coming from Pierluigi’s. He also said he was able to easily identify tracks by Chaka Khan and Beyonce while inside neighbouring residential properties.
One part of the statement reads: “The bass was vibrating the floor and transmitting through the bed frame, at 00:03 the track changed to Drake with the track One Dance, this was very clear with the lyrics being easily identified, the bass continued at an excessive and unreasonable level. I would find it impossible to sleep in this bedroom.”
Mr McIlroy also thought dispersal from the restaurant was a public safety concern as he witnessed speeding cars and customers saying “If you get run over it’s their fault” while gesturing towards Pierluigi’s security staff.
The previous decisions in the restaurant’s favour also came after the council heard evidence from nearby residents that music from the restaurant was keeping them up at night.
The South London authority decided to impose a two-month suspension and remove Pierluigi’s ability to play recorded music in March 2025. Pierluigi’s legal representative David Dadds appealed this decision to Bromley Magistrates’ Court.
This appeal was heard at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on July 1 and was granted subject to a number of conditions.
These include that management shall use their “best endeavours” to prevent customers from parking illegally in front of the restaurant, CCTV will cover all internal and external areas of the venue, and acoustic curtains will be fitted onto the windows and lowered no later than 10.30pm on weekends and whenever a DJ is playing.
The court decision also overturned Bromley’s decision to revoke Pierluigi’s licence in February. The council resolved to do this after hearing police evidence that the restaurant had failed to provide CCTV footage of an alleged theft despite numerous requests.
A spokesperson for Pierluigi’s said: “We are delighted that the court carefully examined all the evidence and reached a fair and balanced decision.
“Pierluigi’s has served the Beckenham community for more than 30 years and has consistently sought to work constructively with the authorities while investing in measures to address concerns.
“We look forward to continuing to welcome customers and contributing to the local economy. We are also making an application to recover our costs too.”
However, the family-run Italian still faces an uphill battle to host its late-night “vibes dining” events which involve customers listening to a DJ on weekend evenings while enjoying their meal. Pierluigi’s current licence allows it to stay open until 12.30am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The restaurant has applied to stay open until 1.30am over the next two weekends, and the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee will determine this tomorrow (July 30). Within the Temporary Event Notice (TEN) applications it states all patrons will vacate the venue by 1.30am at the latest.
Unsurprisingly, concerns have been raised by Bromley officers ahead of the licensing hearing. The council’s environmental health team objected to the application due to the ongoing noise complaints and because it seeks authorisation for up to 499 people at the venue.
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