Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill

Memorandum submitted by the UK Noise Association (PR 50)

The UK Noise Association

The UK Noise Association (UKNA) was established in 2000. It lobbies for policies which reduce noise pollution. It s membership includes commercial organizations, noise lobby and campaign groups, academics and individuals.

Although it is primarily a lobby organisation, it does have contact with people experiencing noise problems and will, from time to time, take up individual cases.

Summary

UKNA welcomes this Bill, in particular the proposal to amend the Licensing Act 2003 to assist with controlling noise nuisance and giving communities greater say in licensing decisions. UKNA, though, would like to see an additional clause inserted into the Bill giving the Police powers which local authorities already have to take action on noise, particularly night noise

Response

1. UKNA welcomes this Bill. In particular we welcome the proposal to amend the Licensing Act 2003 to assist with controlling noise nuisance and giving communities greater say in licensing decisions. In our experience, the Licensing Act has worsened the noise climate for local communities. Instead of noise being concentrated over one or two short periods, it can now spread over many hours. Local communities have felt powerless to do anything about it. 

2. UKNA would like to see one additional clause inserted into the Bill. It would like to see the Police being given the power which local authorities already have to take action on noise, particularly night noise. The biggest single source of complaint we get is about the inadequate response of local authorities to dealing with a noise complaint. Some local authorities are very effective. Others are not. When the local authority is failing, the noise complainant has nowhere else to turn.

UKNA also argues that, by giving the Police this power, it is matching legislation to reality. It is to the Police that many people turn when they are faced with a noise nuisance. At present, the Police do not have the power to assist them.

We propose that the Police are given this power in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.

January 2011