23/05/2005

Action on noise is a great success say DoE

A DoE report has revealed that almost 80% of people in Northern Ireland regard noisy neighbours to be a serious issue.

The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) has published a report on its first ever Noise Awareness Campaign in February this year to mark Noise Action Week which began today.

The campaign used graphic television and newspaper adverts to warn noisy neighbours that 'Too Loud Is Not Allowed!' and that they risk action being taken by their local council.

The campaign reminded people who suffer at the hands of noisy neighbours that if it is too loud they were allowed to complain and that is exactly what they did.

Dr Roy Ramsay, Director of Environmental Protection, said: "Our campaign highlighted the seriousness of this issue for many people. Noise nuisance can cause severe distress to people who are subjected to it and during Noise Action Week everyone should remember to be more considerate to our neighbours. I am very pleased with the campaign success."

During the four weeks of the campaign, the 17 district councils received 766 complaints about noise, an overall increase of 44% on the same period last year.

Noise officers in Strabane and Fermanagh saw the highest increase in complaints directly following the campaign, with a huge increase of 160%.

Last year over 8,000 noise complaints were received by local councils in Northern Ireland. The full report can be found at www.ehsni.gov.uk/environment/noise/noisestats.shtml

(MB/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

24 January 2005
Noise Awareness campaign launched
A new Noise Awareness Campaign which aims to inform noisy neighbours that ‘Too Loud is Not Allowed!’ has been launched by the DOE’s Environment and Heritage Service. Recently released figures estimate that one in four people in the UK suffer noise disturbance from neighbours.
15 August 2006
Number of noise complaints rise in NI
The Department of Environment (DOE) has today revealed that noise complaints in Northern Ireland have increased by 13% over the last year. The report provides information relating to the number and type of noise complaints received by all 26 district councils in Northern Ireland, from 2005 to 2006.
22 May 2002
Barking dogs and music drive people mad
Noisy neighbours annoy over one in three people in the UK, a major survey has revealed. The research published on Noise Action Day shows that in Northern Ireland barking dogs are the most common source of complaint for 79% of people, with music the second most common for 64%.
17 December 2008
Noisy Neighbours Plague Belfast, Says Report
'Love thy Neighbour' may be a commandment that is one of the hardest to follow around NI's capital city as Belfast has proved to be the noisiest neighbourhood in Northern Ireland.
28 April 2010
Belfast Man 'Faces The Music' Over Noise
A man has been fined for failing to comply with a warning about playing loud music at his apartment.