The new owners of a popular caravan park have vowed to spend whatever it takes to make sure their neighbours get a good night's sleep.

The company which runs Valley Farm, in Valley Road, Clacton, has already ploughed £12,000 into a new music system in its Jolly Harvester club to improve the situation.

And it is to carry out a sound proofing scheme which will cost another £70,000 by March, 2004.

A family living in nearby Holland Road complained that they were disturbed by the music, and it affected their quality of life.

They turned up to a meeting of Tendring Council's licensing sub-committee to oppose extended hours for the club to midnight during the week, 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, plus 1.30am on 12 special occasions in the year.

Richard and Martin Ridley, who have lived in their bungalow with their mother for the past 20 years, said they could just about put up with the noise as it stands but were against the later hours. They had monitored noise levels and gathered 45 signatures on a petition.

Richard Ridley said: "Let them have these hours once the soundproofing has been put in next March - and not now. If they wait we will all support them."

Michael Clark, general manager, said his company bought Valley Farm in December. Since then it had upgraded the sound system, built porches around fire exits and would soundproof the building by next Easter, whatever the cost.

Valley Farm Camping Ground was granted the variation provided soundproofing was completed by March, 2004, a delimiter on the sound system was kept to an agreed level and that noise levels were reduced further during the extended hours

Published Monday, June 2, 2003

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