lxkev Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Hello I've been asking to provide PA for a outdoor "House Party" as well as bring my band along. The Client has spoken to her immediate neighbors about the event, but I'm worried someone downwind will complain and ring the police. I have spoken to the local police station who basically said contact the local environmental service, but I haven't had much look contacting them. Has anybody got information on what is deemed a tolerable decidable level in a residential area and what time will the music need to stop? or where can I find this information? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Short answer, nowhere. There is no "set" level as noise is subjective and should someone complain then the complaint needs to be investigated. Noise from gardens etc. is treated differently between 11pm and 7am but there is no hard and fast rule. http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/noise/neighbourhood-noise/nuisance/ If Derby City is your local authority their advice is here; http://www.derby.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/pollution/noise-control/ You are approaching things the right way so be sensible on levels, it's a party not a festival, and be open to requests to turn it down a bit as the night wears on. Maybe taking the thing indoors later on would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 Don't forget the environmental officers might well decide to use the same powers they have when dealing with Raves - steam in and impound the equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 A remote possibility Paul, they usually regard private parties on one's own property as OK by them. I haven't actually come across a confiscation under those terms and would appreciate a heads up if anyone has heard of one. The OP could always get a Temporary Events Notice if there were any concerns like this.http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/P_TENupdate1105.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted January 30, 2012 Share Posted January 30, 2012 suffolk police neighbourhood watch report private party - not a rave, outside - sound equipment confiscated - sounds like a bit of a wild one with arrests for drugs, but they did take the sound system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 this is my day job raising it's head again - usually I am involved looking at noise made by licensed premises. the rule of thumb that environmental health use is that the sound level shouldn't exceed the ambient noise at the complainant location. they police this through enforcement notices. so if you turn a fan on and it peaks above the ambient then they enforcement notice will prohibit use of that fan, or music in that location (irrespective of a performance licence). where equipment is confiscated tends to be where they determine the levels to be a nuisance. the determination that it is a nuisance is by them but their first reference to be able to intervene is an obvious level above the background. when and where they choose to care about enforcement varies but generally they react to a complaint. edited to add - when I have such a problem my first port of call is to talk to environmental health and get their view (which is usually limit noise to be equal to background noise) and they are often (not always) friendly and happy to meet and discuss on site and to agree sound survey readings. getting hold of an EHO once you have the department number is easy enough. you will get them first thing in the morning and last thing in the afternoon - in between they are either taking time off because they were out on a job the previous evening, or they are out on sites meeting the likes of myself. I have been working my night job lately and finding it difficult to catch a certain EHO in the morning so I simply asked for their email and got a response within a couple of days. I had already talked to them about this particular project tho and a first call to 'touch base' and discuss the issue with them is always helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edwards Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 err...zero...I would argue that even if the music equals the ambient noise level it won't be masked and will still be chuffing annoying. I'm sorry but if you want a party with live music, have it somewhere else. I personally cannot understand the mentality of anyone who does this. Maybe it's just me a my silly considerate ways... Having recently watched a programme following a noise abatement officer, I would say that you need to make sure that the music cannot be heard beyond the boundary of your property. Everyone outside had to turn it off and those inside had to turn it down and shut the windows. It was quite funny...one guy who was having a birthday was the usual passive aggressive drunk..."sorry mate, sorry mate"...a few minutes later he was in the back of the van, hopefully spending the rest of the night with someone banging on the cell door next to him. *grumpy old man alert* The last 'house party' near me had around 20 or so rather angry residents at about 9pm queuing up to tell them to shut the f...including me. I thought it was the local at first...nobody could actually believe that they thought they could play music that loud full stop, let alone in the evening. I'm pretty sure the police were involved in the end at about 11pm, after several bouts of turning it back up again. The next morning suddenly everyone decided it was time to mow the lawn, pressure wash their car and cut some wood with powertools. ;) Someone let an airhorn off at some point too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjrails Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 HI All I'm with Andrew on this one. Also if your playing music outside of the property then does it not also become a performance or broadcast so meaning that a licence would be required?? especially recorded music. Becareful lxkev, check with your local authority. PJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwright2104 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Had a house warming party once and towards the end of the night we had a disco in what we use as a gym. We had half an hk elias system, at 3am we got the police at the door threatening to confiscate the equipment. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6796179509_036201247e_z.jpgIMG_0811 by dwright2104, on Flickr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david.elsbury Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Are you serious? 3AM? That's downright stupid and very inconsiderate. >.< I'm of the opinion that if you stop by a reasonable time (say, 11PM) then that's ok... so long as you notify the neighbours and don't do it every night of the week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Has anybody got information on what is deemed a tolerable decidable level in a residential area and what time will the music need to stop? or where can I find this information? Others have given good advice, but just to add - the Police will get involved if there's a breach of the peace or antisocial behaviour. The council get involved if it is deemed prejudicial to health or a nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act. However, there are factors that can affect this... and it can also get complicated regarding private or public nuisance, whether there is public interest etc. A properly applied for licence for a charity event in a pub car park that has an agreed noise limit and finish time is very different from a band striking up on private land with the council being unawares. The party organisers need to speak to the council for their view. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwright2104 Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Are you serious? 3AM? That's downright stupid and very inconsiderate. >.< I'm of the opinion that if you stop by a reasonable time (say, 11PM) then that's ok... so long as you notify the neighbours and don't do it every night of the week! Yeah 3am, we live in a detached house and we live at least 100m from any other houses, did not expect they'd hear it, as I tested during the day and the sound badly travelled 50m, I guess the wind picked up n pushed the sound further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Yeah 3am, we live in a detached house and we live at least 100m from any other houses, did not expect they'd hear it, as I tested during the day and the sound badly travelled 50m, I guess the wind picked up n pushed the sound further. Sorry... that last bit did make me smile! Try doing a background noise level and 1/3rd octave spectrum reading at 3pm and then compare it with one at 3am. Then work out the noise level in the house, the likely attenuation (inlcuding any open windows or doors) and calculate the likely noise level at 2m from the facade of the nearest noise sensitive property. Add in the fact that noise after 11pm is generally frowned upon and the residents have a right to enjoy the recommended WHO night time noise guidelines, and I'm not to suprised that you had a knock on the door! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grum Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Trouble is, it's all down to what other people deem acceptable. Some people think its out of order to play music loud after 9pm but think it's perfectly fine to start mowing the lawn at 8am. Others think that at minding the night is still young but that 10am is an early morning. My wife worked in the NHS so has had nearly 20 years of 6am starts, to her 11pm is a late night. I've worked in the event industry my whole working life so to me 11pm is one of my most energetic times of the day and it's only a late night if you see the sun rise. Personally I'd say that you're client is doing the right thing, informing the neighbours so they know who to complain to and you're already shooing that you care. Enjoy the party and if you get a knock on the door apologise and turn it down. Yes, the police do have the power to confiscate the sound system but they don't really want to do it if they don't have to, would you choose to organise and execute an impromptu get out in a residential area late at night?? If you're just supplying the equipment and you're not actually going to be there then it less of a worry, just make sure that your terms and conditions are properly written (like any good hire company) and that you've got a credit card deposit so that if your client does turn out to be inconsiderate and the police do confiscate the equipment you can at least charge your client until the equipment is returned. No matter how much planning you do you will always get complaints. I did a staff party for Nando's recently at the owners home. The property is so big it has two post codes, all the neighbours were invited and everything was positioned so that the noise was directed away from all the local housing. Yet at 3pm we got complaints about the noise during sound check and were ordered to shut down the PA system and do the sound check in silence (no kidding). The source of the complaints? The massage and spiritual healing tent that was next door to the FOH position and part of the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Lewis Posted February 1, 2012 Share Posted February 1, 2012 Trouble is, it's all down to what other people deem acceptable. It's a bit more defined than that. here's a few quotes: A nuisance is often difficult to establish but, generally speaking, if something is unreasonable to the average person, a court might decide it is a statutory nuisance. Noise nuisance is covered by Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA). This law empowers local authorities to deal with noise from fixed premises (including land) if they consider that the noise amounts to a statutory nuisance. Proceedings may be taken against noise from factories, shops, pubs, dwellings and stationary vehicles. The use of loudspeakers in the streets is banned between 9.00 pm and 8.00 am (the police, ambulance and fire brigade are exempt). Local authorities can license use outside these hours – e.g. for entertainment but not for advertising purposes or electioneering. Vehicles selling perishable foods may use loudspeakers between 12.00 noon and 7.00 pm and these times can be varied with local authority consent. The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 amended the Noise Act 1996 and enables local authorities in England and Wales to tackle night time noise emitted from dwellings and gardens between the hours of 11.00 pm and 7.00 am. To enforce these powers local authorities must ensure that an environmental health officer takes reasonable steps to investigate complaints about noise emitted from dwellings. If the officer is satisfied that noise exceeds the permitted level, a warning notice may be served on the person responsible. If the warning is ignored, the officer may issue a fixed penalty notice of £100, enter the dwelling and confiscate the noise making equipment (obstructing confiscation carries a fine of up to £1000), or prosecute (fine up to £1000). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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