THE GREAT concert hall in Alexandra Palace will once more be flooded with concert-goers after the venue won permission to increase audience capacity to 10,250.

Previously, the hall was only allowed to fit only 8, 250 but will now rise by 2,000 for standing-only concerts after winning approval from at a Haringey Council sub-licensing committee at the Civic Centre, in High Road, Wood Green, on Monday night.

The increase will help bring-in much needed revenue for the landmark venue which is still saddled by a £37 million debt it owes its guardian Haringey Council.

And it will also be music to the ears of those who have been clamouring for tickets to concerts such as rock legend Morrissey who will appear at Ally Pally in November.

Rebecca Kane, Alexandra Palace managing director, said: "Concert promoters have already indicated that this 2000-strong increase will put us firmly in amongst London’s big league venues, especially as the entire audience can stand and dance here – other venues lose out in terms of atmosphere because they are restricted by seating.

"We have always attracted quality acts because of our location and the architecture, history and scale of the building, but this boost in numbers will make us more competitive and give us a higher profile with promoters and performers.

"This will help us recapture those glory days when Ally Pally was the music venue of choice – for big name stars, their promoters and their audiences – because of its very special atmosphere. There is simply nowhere else like it in the capital."

Recent acts at Alexandra Palace have included Keane, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Travis, Franz Ferdinand and Paul Weller.

And in the past, Ally Pally also played host to rock royalty like the Rolling Stones, Led Zepellin, The Who and Black Sabbath to Barry Manilow.

But residents Stephen and Suzanne Gainsley, of Dukes Avenue, objected strongly to the proposals stating that the increase in guests would cause them to lose sleep because of noise.

In a letter to the council the couple wrote: "Previously when events of this nature were held, we were disturbed on a regular basis from noise emanating from the palace and surrounding grounds.

"There will be further noise generated by people leaving the palace. Many people who attend these events drink excessive amounts of alcohol and hang around the area until the early hours of the morning shouting and creating a nuisance particularly in the passage way connecting Dukes Avenue to the palace."

Following the complaint, councillors on the licensing committee imposed conditions to ensure residents would not be disturbed.

Concerts and events at the ice rink are not allowed to run at the same time and the increased capacity only applies to live music concerts which end at 11pm.

In addition, security guards will be employed to patrol the alleyway near Dukes Avenue to help crackdown on antisocial behaviour.

Shuttle buses will provided free transport to and from Wood Green Tube station to ensure crowds are dispersed quickly and sound engineers will use special acoustic draping, similar to heavy curtains, to minimise noise pollution.

Noise levels will be monitored at each concert to ensure it does not exceed recommended guidelines, Ally Pally bosses said.