The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published updated guidance which relaxes some of the rules placed on the playing of ice-cream van chimes.
The "Code of Practice on Noise from Ice-Cream Van Chimes Etc. in England 2013" replaces the 1982 version of the code, and provides guidance on minimising noise from ice-cream van chimes.
The biggest change is to extend the length of time ice-cream vans can play their music from bursts of four seconds to 12 seconds. They can also sound them once every two minutes, rather than every three. Defra said the slight relaxation was part of the RedTape Challenge to ease regulatory burden on businesses.
The Code also includes measures designed to curtail tension between competing ice-cream sellers. They are advised against playing their chimes "when in sight of another van" if it might "reasonably be taken to be in the street for trading purposes".
A spokeswoman for Defra said the rule would also reduce the risk of so-called "stereo-chiming" between two ice-cream vans. "From a noise management point of view it reduces the risk of two vendors either chiming in close proximity at the same time or competitive chiming which can cause noise annoyance," she said.
In December last year a vendor in Dudley was banned from driving his van for two years after a road-rage attack on a rival. It came only a week after a seller, who called himself Mr Yummy, was convicted of assault and criminal damage after a row with a rival called Mr Whippy over the price of a double cone and flake.
The guidelines also include a ban on vendors sounding their tunes within 50 metres of a hospital, a school during classes, or churches during services. There is also a restriction on playing the jingles after 7pm so as not to disturb children’s bedtimes, as well as a requirement to display a copy of the code of conduct inside the van so that anyone responsible for pressing the button can read them.
For more information, see the:
