By Rory Bennett

Ealing Council has approved the alcohol license for a trampoline park in Acton. Oxygen Free Jumping applied for the license so that it can provide alcoholic beverages to people who are visiting the site either as part of corporate hospitality events or to adults who are accompanying children.

Oxygen's Operations Director Karen Wood said that the park's 'core customers' were between 5 and 11 years old, adding that they would continue to focus on making it a place for family activities. However, Paul Murphy of the council's Pollution Control Team raised concerns that an approval of the license could signal 'a shift towards hospitality' and evening events.

He also said the metal warehouse, which is where the trampolines are situated, could act as 'a giant amplifier' for sound. In response, the representative of the park said they had a noise action plan to help mitigate the effects on nearby residents. The licensing application, which was eventually approved with certain conditions, asked for the site to have the right to serve alcohol until 23:00 Monday to Sunday as well as provision to play live and recorded music with the same restrictions.

After questioning from Cllr Anthony Kelly, the representative of the park, Alun Thomas, insisted that the sale of alcohol would only be for people that were either observing activities taking place on the trampolines or for those who had finished their activities and the provision for booze was not aimed at getting people drunk and then going on the equipment.

There were two objectors to the plans who were local residents in the nearby Saxon Drive who said they could hear music and loud announcements from the park's PA system.

They were less concerned about alcohol being drunk on the premises although they echoed Mr Murphy's point that private events later in the evening could result in more noise outside the building when people were leaving the premises or hanging around the car park afterwards.

However, assurances of a dedicated member of staff that would ensure dispersal, alongside conditions that would mean there was access by residents to a site manager 24 hours a day and promises that the park would install a noise limiter to ensure residents would not be as affected by noise was enough to sway the panel.

The application was approved, with a formal acknowledgement of the panel's decision set to be released in 5 working days. Oxygen Free Jumping has 3 centres across London including one in Croydon and the O2.