Hackney Council's licensing sub-committee has allowed a temporary event notice for amplified music on the pavement outside Hackney Wick station to proceed. Licensing Sub-Committee D took the decision at its hearing on 3 November 2026 and did not issue a counter notice.
My London reports that the notice is for Boys in the Taxi, the duo of DJ Boyblue and MC Dean C, who play garage, party anthems and club classics from a hackney carriage and have previously played in Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus and Hackney. The disco is on the pavement outside Hackney Wick Overground station from 8pm to 10pm on Saturday 14 November 2026, with a maximum of 400 people at any one time. DJ Boyblue is Jason Richards. The council agenda places the spot on the left-hand side as people leave the station, away from the main entrance, with pedestrian access kept clear.
The police objection
The Metropolitan Police objected over noise nuisance, public safety and crowd dispersal in an unrestricted public space. PC Chris Stockman told the hearing that officers and Hackney's noise enforcement team were called to a similar event on 19 September 2026 after complaints and found between 100 and 150 people by the taxi, blocking the highway. The worries were attendance, crowd management, the use of public space and public nuisance, the chance that publicity would lift the crowd above the numbers suggested, and the overcrowding, obstruction and nuisance for residents and businesses that could follow. The further information supplied after the objection had not put enough safeguards in place.
What the organiser expects
Jason Richards told councillors he expected about 100 people, maybe 120, against a notice limit of 400. The 19 September performance had already finished, at 10pm, when officers arrived. If the 14 November gathering looked rowdy, the music would stop and the crowd would be dispersed. That had never been necessary, and people who came had come in good spirits.
"We don't make any money, we just do it for love. We enjoy doing what we do. You're always going to get one or two complaints, no matter what you do. As far as safety is concerned, if there are any issues we'll drop the music, turn it off and stop what we're doing."
Why the notice stands
The sub-committee considered the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder, public safety, preventing public nuisance, and protecting children from harm. It concluded the event would not unacceptably undermine them. The event was short, it was amplified music only, the operator appeared credible and had run events before without any recorded complaints or issues, and the event appeared likely to be a valuable addition to Hackney's cultural scene. The concerns of the Metropolitan Police were taken seriously. The balance of evidence favoured permitting the event to proceed, and a counter notice was not appropriate.