A quiet summer for Stratford as YouTuber Ryan Taylor confirms he's staying in Dubai
A SUMMER of peace and quiet could be on the cards for Stratford residents after last year’s “nightmare” of living close to YouTuber Ryan Taylor.
The 29-year-old had been living at a property on Seven Meadows Road before spending more and more time in Dubai.
However, he confirmed to the Herald this week that he has no intention of returning to Church Farm and the house is available to rent.
His former neighbours were subjected to months of noise and disruption from vehicles being driven around a dirt track at all hours of the day.
The professional BMXer, YouTube star and businessman from Walsall moved into the house in January 2021, and in June of that year residents in Old Town and beyond began reporting noise from revving engines as Ryan and friends drove vehicles around a field adjacent to the property.
Footage was then uploaded to YouTube, where Ryan, pictured, had two million subscribers.
As reported in the Herald, by November the persistent racket from the revving cars had driven those living nearby to distraction, with one anonymous resident saying: “It’s not like it’s a faint noise, it really resonates through the whole property. You can’t ignore it. You can’t escape it inside, and of course if you’re outside it’s ten times worse. It’s constant background noise. He just hasn’t got any boundaries.”
Another anonymous resident said: “We have quite a nice, local community and you generally feel safe and that you can enjoy your garden and the surrounding areas in peace and quiet. He just obviously has no respect for anything. You have a right to quiet enjoyment of your property and he’s certainly not allowing anyone that. It’s disgusting.”
When the Herald met with Ryan to put residents’ concerns to him, he was unrepentant, and believed his antics played an important part in the lives of his YouTube followers. He said: “I’ll take the cars out whenever I want. I’ll still do it, and it’s fun. Old people don’t like the noise, but they don’t make a connection with what we’re doing, especially if you’re young and successful, but they were young once also.
“There are kids out there who go around with knives, and I want to help them on a new path. We want them to stop. I’m here to make a change, put a smile on people’s faces, have fun and help the new generation be positive. What else have they got?” he said.
Cllr Jenny Fradgley (Lib Dem, Guildhall) confirmed at the time that a community protection notice (CPN) was sent to the property on 28th October, which required the land to be used by agriculture vehicles only. A spokesperson for Stratford District Council on Tuesday said that the CPN was served and remains in place.
When contacted by the Herald to confirm whether he had left the property, Ryan responded: “Yes, I’ve moved to Dubai for good.”
Estate agents, Hamptons, has put Church Farm up for rent, however the description explains that work is under way on the adjoining three-acre field, saying that “the paddock is currently being levelled and re-seeded.”
On the prospect of a summer free from the noise of revving engines and disruption, one resident, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: “I’m just glad he’s gone and so is everyone locally. We can all look forward to a peaceful and enjoyable summer this year!”
