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A new independent review will examine how Manchester City Council can better support the city’s popular music venues.

It is being led by Manchester Music City (MMC) and starts in April. The group is expected to submit a report in the fall with “practical recommendations for supporting and nurturing the city’s small and medium-sized venues” and “being considerate of the residents and businesses of the growing city and the council’s legal responsibilities.”

The review was announced today (March 20), a day before the iconic Night & Day venue is set to face council in court over a noise reduction notice. It also comes ahead of the new Beyond The Music festival, which was launched by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham at SXSW in Austin, Texas last week.

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“Music is part of Manchester’s DNA and Manchester’s music industry is one of the distinctive ingredients that make this a world-class city,” council leader Bev Craig said in a statement. “We want to protect it, defend it and make it grow. Grassroots venues are an essential element in nurturing talent.

“The council and its partners want to do everything possible to support and protect them. These venues provide significant social, cultural, economic and health benefits for the people of Manchester and opportunities for new musicians.

“I know we’ve seen an example recently, with the Night & Day case, where the legal and regulatory duties of placed public bodies seem to conflict with this aspiration. While the legal context is complex, working together with the industry I am confident that this independent review will help us find solutions to prevent future cases and move forward.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that we want to keep all of our great venues in this city open and thriving, and encourage new ones to establish themselves as part of Manchester’s growing music scene.

“It’s important to me that it’s an independent job, not one run by the Council. By engaging through Manchester Music City with grassroots venues in the city and Manchester’s music industry, the review will present recommendations to ensure that grassroots venues can thrive as the city and its population continue to grow and develop. The review will present its recommendations to the council to form part of a new music venue policy and we will also try to learn lessons from best practice around the world.”

The review will be led by Debra King, director of Manchester-based music development organization Brighter Sound. She added: “This review and its recommendations will be instrumental in strengthening the position of grassroots music venues in the city and ensuring that music continues to be central to Manchester’s cultural vitality.”

The review is expected to be wide-ranging, focusing on council policy, the planning process and regulation such as licensing and environmental health.

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