Animals, noisy neighbours and loud TVs: Over 600 noise complaints in Derry & Strabane last year
A breakdown of the hundreds of complaints within the year to April 2022 found that dogs barking and other animal sounds, loud TV, music and party noises were among the most prevalent in Derry & Strabane.
A total of 642 noise complaints were registered in the city and district over the year, the new report from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has confirmed.
In a breakdown of different areas and type of complaints, animal noises were far and away the biggest nuisance reported locally, accounting for 257 of the complaints registered in Derry & Strabane. House parties, and domestic TV noise and loud music accounted for 135 complaints.
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Hide AdThe other reports included industry, manufacturing and workshops (19); agricultural (6); entertainment premises (25); DIY (15); house alarms (13); other neighbour noise (53); construction site/ road works (15); road vehicles (6); vehicle alarms (1); noisy exhausts/ horns beeping/ engines revving (19).
The remainder concerned noise in the street: anti-social behaviour (24); loudspeakers (3); ice cream van chimes (3); road works (3); street performance / public address (2); other (23).
Like two other Councils, the number of enforcement notices served in Derry & Strabane over the year was one (0.16%). Most other Councils were also in single figures, while by contrast 310 notices were served in Belfast. There were no notices served in Causeway, Coast & Glens council according to the report.
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Hide AdFigures collated by the 11 district councils from across the north overall show that a total of 13,261 complaints were received in 2021/22, up 26.4% compared to the previous year’s figure (10,494).
This represents the highest number of complaints received since records began in 2003/04.
The greatest number of complaints received were from Belfast City Council (20.2 complaints per 1,000 people) and the fewest complaints received were from Newry, Mourne and Down Council (2.1 per 1,000 persons).
Northern Ireland wide there has been a 63.8% increase in the number of notices served this year compared to last year (344 served this year and 210 served in 2020/21).
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Hide AdThe report also provides an insight into the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on noise complaints during this reporting year, with the relaxation of numerous restrictions only starting in April 2021.