Domestic pets make most offensive racket

DOMESTIC pets were responsible for the most offensive racket in Londonderry last year prompting 130 complaints to the council Environmental Health Department.

Loud music, television and parties also got on people's nerves generating 119 complaints. Other neighbour noises resulted in 26 complaints whilst house alarms resulted in just 12.

Outside the domestic sphere the level of annoyance was on a much lesser scale. Industry, Manufacturing and Workshops (8), Agricultural (1), Entertainment Premises (8), Sports and Leisure (3), Hot Food Bars/Restaurants (1), Other Shops and Offices (3) and

Security Alarms (8) all resulted in less than 10 complaints each.

Similarly Construction Sites (10), Road Works (4), Loudspeakers (1) and Ice Cream Van Chimes (1) were surprisingly tolerable insofar as the complaints tally demonstrates.

The report provided by Derry City Council to the Department of the Environment (DoE) in advance of the preparation of the annual Noise Complaint Statistics Northern Ireland 2009/2010 show 343 complaints were registered in total.

One notice was served on the party responsible for playing music or watching TV at too high a volume whilst two notices were served on those parties responsible for keeping noise pets. No prosecutions resulted.

The report also lists a number of initiatives or schemes adopted by the local authority to raise noise awareness.

Noise Action Week and enhanced co-operation between Environmental Health and Community Safety Wardens were amongst the council sponsored drives to tackle noise in 2009/10.

The report also states: "Slight increase in overall number of noise complaints from previous year 343 in 2009/2010 compared to 321 in 2008/2009. Increase accounted by slight rise in commercial and leisure complaints (30 from 21) and domestic complaints (287 from 279).

"It is noted that although domestic complaints remain fairly similar overall there was an increase in music/parties noise complaints (119 from 96) and a corresponding fall in animal noise complaints (130 from 159)."

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