Noise annoys! Barking dogs, blaring TVs, music, parties and rowdy pubs top irritants in Derry

The latest ‘Noise Complaint Statistics 2022-23’ report from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) show there were 556 complaints over the year.

The single biggest generator of noise complaints in Derry/Strabane was animal noise – 240. This was followed by music, TV and parties – 91.

Entertainment premises were the source of 34 complaints.

The new report breaks the 556 local complaints down across six categories.

Industrial

• Industrial, Manufacturing and Workshops (10).
• Agriculture (6).
• Wind Turbine (Individual) (0).
• Wind Farm (0).

Commercial & Leisure

• Entertainment Premises (34).
• Sports and Leisure (14).
• Petrol Stations/Car Wash (0).
• Hot Food Bars and Restaurants (1).
• Other Shops and Offices (2).
• Security Alarms (3).
• Other (11).

Domestic

• DIY (13).
• Music, Television and Parties (91).
• Animal Noise (240).
• House Alarms (11).
• Other Neighbour Noise (55).

Construction

• Construction Sites/Demolition Works and Road Works (18).

Transport

• Road Vehicles (0).
• Rail (0).
• Civil Aircraft (0).
• Military Aircraft (0).
• Delivery Vehicles (2).
• Vehicle Alarms (3).
• Vehicle Horns, Revving Engines, Noisy Exhausts (12).

Noise in the Street

• Loudspeakers (2).
• Road Works (0).
• Ice Cream Van Chimes (0).
• Street Traders (0).
• Street Performance/Public Address (4).
• Children Playing (0).
• Antisocial Behaviour (12).
• Other (12).

The report shows that only two notices were served in Derry/Strabane under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (CNEA) and the Noise Act (NA) 1996.

In Belfast there were far more noise complaints (5,705) and far more notices issued (202).

“The Neighbourhood noise problems can arise from many quarters. The lack of consideration for the rights of others is a contributory factor in many of these problems,” the report’s authors state.

The report concludes that after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted in the North during the reporting year more people returned to the office or adopted a hybrid working style.

“With the public now becoming more settled into this style of working it may be reflective of the decrease in the total number of complaints received compared to last year,” the authors state.

Across the North as a whole domestic noise was the main sources of noise complaints.

The report’s findings show that the majority of complaints to councils concern the following types of noise:

• Domestic noise – 77.08%
• Commerce and Leisure – 10.95%
• Noise in the street – 4.69%
• Construction – 3.22%
• Industrial – 2.37%
• Transport – 1.68%

Dogs, neighbours, TVs among top irritants but some complained about children and ice cream vans