Following the publication of a report revealing the rise of noise complaints, Environment Minister, Edwin Poots is urging councils to step up their efforts to drive down the level of noise nuisance across Northern Ireland.
The statistics from the study showed that 11,687 complaints were made to district councils in the year 2009/2010, representing a 5% increase on the previous year. It also showed that noise complaints had increased a total of 39% between 2003/2004 and 2009/2010.
However, whilst there has been an increase in noise complaints, only 1% of those complaints have led to a formal prosecution.
Mr Poots said: "Noise nuisance affects the lives of thousands of people every day. Whether it is young children being kept awake by loud music or unattended alarms or our elderly folk finding their night is interrupted by young people returning from a night out or a barking dog, it is a serious issue which takes its toll."
The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill recently introduced by Mr Poots will increase council powers to deal with night noise complaints about licensed premises. It will also require councils to designate Alarm Notification Areas in their districts whereby the owners of premises fitted with audible intruder alarms will be required to notify the council of the name and address of a key-holder for the premises who can be contacted in order to silence the alarm.
Among the 26 council areas, Belfast, Coleraine, Carrickfergus and Ballymoney were found to have the highest numbers of complaints per 1,000 of the population. The lowest levels of complaints were in Magherafelt, Fermanagh and Moyle.
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