Animal noise main source of complaints

Animal noise contributed to almost half the noise complaints dealt with by the local Council over the past year.

Figures obtained from the Noise Complaints Statistics for Northern Ireland also reveal the Council area is amongst the top three in dealing with noise complaints across the Province, 469.

Music, television and parties contributed to 120 complaints in the past twelve months while 32 incidents of neighbour noise were received.

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Overall, there were 11,952 noise complaints received in Northern Ireland in 2014/2015. This represents a 0.7% increase in the total number of complaints received compared to the previous year.

Belfast City Council accounts for 53% of all complaints received by District Councils.

Banbridge Council received no fewer than 201 complaints (133 animal noise) while in Armagh 194 noise complaints were dealt with by the local Council.

Noise is commonly defined as ‘sound’ which is undesired by the recipient’.

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Noise can be any sound that is intrusive, disturbing or annoying. It can be one of the most pervasive pollutants and is capable of causing annoyance, stress, sleep, disturbance and other serious conditions.

Councils receive a wide variety of noise complaints which are categorised as follows: Insurtial; commercial and leisure; domestic; construction, demolition or road works; transport and noise in the street. The report shows that neighbouring noise problems can arise from many quarters.

Authorities consider better education as one way of tackling the problem.