Noise levels could still be increased for live music events at Shrewsbury’s Quarry after a town councillor today said he was leading calls for a new licensing bid.

Shrewsbury Town Councillor Dean Carroll said he would be asking fellow members at a meeting tomorrow to back his campaign which he says could help pave the way for big name acts such as Status Quo to come to the town.

It comes just days after council officials withdrew an application to vary the Quarry’s premises licence to scrap noise restrictions after claiming it would cost too much.

Helen Ball, town clerk, said the process to change the existing licence could cost the authority as much as £2,000.

But Councillor Carroll, a member of the council’s recreation and leisure committee, claimed it would be money well spent.

Drowned

He said: “If you have a situation where the acts are being drowned out by the crowd we certainly have our priorities wrong.

“Shrewsbury Town Council is not the council for the town centre, it’s the council for the whole town. The Quarry is the jewel in the crown for Shrewsbury’s entertainment industry.

“I certainly think we should have a restriction on noise but I would like to see it significantly raised.

“Two thousand pounds is a worthwhile investment to make and will be recouped by the money brought in by bigger acts who will be attracted by the increased noise levels.”

Councillor Carroll added that the current noise restriction of 65 decibels was “unreasonable”.

But Dr Alan Shrank, from Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents’ Association claims the restriction is fair and already attracts suitable acts. He said the Quarry was not a suitable venue for very loud music concerts.

Last year large numbers of people at an 80s concert in the town complained that the music was too quiet and musicians and singers were drowned out by the crowd. But town centre residents have asked in the past for sound restrictions on Quarry concerts.

Mrs Ball said last week that if there were any specific acts that wanted to play in the Quarry the town council could consider applying to increase noise levels on certain occasions.

By Russell Roberts