Noise Pollution at Labone: 355 Lounge still Misbehaving

355 Lounge located on 66 Orphan Crescent at Labone in Accra is at the centre of excessive noise making in the area and has been left by authorities to continue to misbehave.

The noise from the lounge gets extremely excessive on Tuesday nights when the residents are to have restful time after working throughout the day.

Unfortunately, agencies and authorities that are to pull the brakes on the way of 355 Lounge are doing nothing to rectify the terrible situation.

The noise that emanated from the Lounge last Tuesday night was such that some of the residents summoned the courage to confront the operators on how and why they were bothering them.

Surprisingly, after promising to bring the noise under control, nothing was done about the unbearable noise levels.

The operators in the past behaved in a manner that in a small way depicted that the noise levels from their activities have gone down, only to go back to their ways of bothering the entire neighbourhood.

The noise levels from the lounge on Tuesday were way above what was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), causing huge discomfort for the residents.

The noise levels from the 355 Lounge last Saturday were between 56DB and 62DB, something way above the EPA permissible range of noise making, especially in the evenings.

The residents in the area are worried because the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) and the EPA have not been able to crack the whip on the activities of 355 Lounge.

355 Lounge, LaDMA Sued   

355 Integrated Service Limited, operators of 355 Lounge, located on 66 Orphan Crescent at Labone in Accra, has been dragged to court over excessive noise making.

The second defendant in the suit filed by Messrs Kwami Augustus Williams and Kwabena Ohene Djan, both residents of Labone in Accra, is the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA).

The plaintiffs want the court to declare that 355 Integrated Service Limited is illegally operating a restaurant, bar and nightclub from a parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent Labone.

They also want the court to declare that the current building on the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent Labone is an illegal structure.

Again, the plaintiffs want the court to declare that the operation of any restaurant and or bar and nightclub from the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent Labone is illegal, as it would cause a significant nuisance to the residents and owners of properties near the said parcel of land.

Apart from that, the plaintiffs are seeking an order of perpetual injunction against the 1st Defendant restraining the 1st Defendant, its privies, servants or assigns from operating a restaurant and or bar and nightclub from the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent Labone.

In addition, the plaintiffs are seeking an order of perpetual injunction against the 2nd Defendant (LaDMA) restraining the 2nd Defendant, its privies, servants or assigns from granting a business operating permit to any party including the 1st Defendant to operate a restaurant and or bar and night club from the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent Labone.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an order of mandatory injunction directed to the 1st Defendant to demolish the current building on the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent, Labone.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages against the 1st Defendants for causing a significant nuisance to them and residents near the parcel of land Known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent, Labone, costs including legal fees and other relief (s) the court may deem fit.

When the matter was first called in December 2023, the defendants were not in court and it was adjourned to a date in January 2024.

The plaintiffs are residents of House Number F174/6, Third Labone Link, Labone, Accra and House Number 5, Second Labone Link, Labone, Accra.

They claim that the activities of the 355 Lounge were causing lots of trauma to them and their families because of excessive noise from the parcel of land known as No. 62 Orphan Crescent, Labone.

According to the plaintiffs, the 1st Defendant has failed to obtain the requisite permits from various state institutions, including the LaDMA that is the 2nd Defendant in the suit.

They said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had warned 355 Lounge over the excessive noise from its activities and made it aware that it was operating without the required permit.

The plaintiffs said all efforts to get 355 Lounge to cease making excessive noise in the vicinity have proved futile.