A Chester busker has rekindled the debate about whether busking is an annoyance or welcome entertainment after an online video of him being confronted by a PCSO was viewed more than 450,000 times.
Jonny Walker became a well known face of a campaign against Cheshire West and Chester Council’s proposed Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) which aimed to fine people for activities deemed anti-social including unauthorised busking.
Jonny lives in Leeds and performs across the country including Chester but it was while busking in the Yorkshire town of Doncaster that he was reprimanded by a female PCSO who claimed she had received a complaint about noise.
The founder of Keep Streets Live campaign stood his ground and videoed the confrontation which went viral on the web. Jonny was eventually allowed to carry on busking but his video led to media interviews by BBC Radio Five Live and BBC regional TV news programme Look North.
Related story: Comedian Mark Thomas leads Chester PSPO protest 'lying-down' in city centre
Jonny, who last year featured in a demonstration against the Chester PSPO with comedian Mark Thomas, told the BBC a complaint about noise from a Doncaster jeweller had already been resolved when the PSPO arrived and began talking about moving him on.
He explained: “The owner came out and asked ‘would I turn it down?’. ‘Yes, I will’ and I did, which was why I was a bit disappointed when the lady in the clip turned up and told me there had been a complaint. There was no real attempt to investigate – is it too loud or isn’t it?”
New buskers' code for Chester
Jonny has worked with councils across the UK to develop guidelines for busking that are acceptable to all parties. He is among Chester buskers currently in discussions with CWaC about a new code of conduct after the council dropped busking from its proposed PSPO.
Related story: Thousands oppose Cheshire West and Chester Council's anti-social behaviour drive
Jonny, who garnered 16,000 names for an online petition against the original measures, continued: “Keep Streets Live campaign has worked with York council, Liverpool, we are working with Chester, Birmingham, London to draw up simple guidelines to develop good relationships that just say if someone’s making too much noise go and speak to them. If you can’t resolve it, call the council.
“The council will turn up and evaluate it and if there is a problem then someone should move on, but it should be justified,” added Jonny, who has been busking for 10 years and has sometimes received noise complaints from one particular retail staff member when busking outside Debenham’s in Eastgate Street, Chester.
Jonny is delighted CWaC no longer intends to ‘criminalise’ buskers or rough sleepers after those elements were jettisoned from the PSPO but remains concerned bird feeders and beggars could still be targeted.
Revised proposals will go to the next cabinet meeting on March 16 based on recommendations from last November’s Children and Families Policy and Performance Panel.
