Only weeks after Tories on the Council rejected the modest proposal of additional noise abatement cover during Freshers Week in Ormskirk. They are now publicising their plans for noise action week.

From the article:

The Council has a duty to reduce or stop unwanted noise under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 and can force entry into a house to turn off a ringing alarm or seize stereo systems if necessary.

Despite this statutory duty, the Council refuse to have officers working at night-time when most of the problems occur.

And their “public awareness” scheme for noise action week comprises of a stall in the Concourse between 10am and 3pm on Tuesday 19th and a stall on the Ormskirk Thursday market on the 21st. I doubt this is going to reach those who are responsible for the night-time noise that blights lives across the District.

Some credit is due… at least they are doing something slightly more than the absolute bare-minimum. However, when I’ve been canvassing, I’ve had complaints about noise nuisance from residents along Churchfields, Moorgate, Dyers Lane, Burscough Road, Station Road, Sephton Drive and Lea Crescent. People there feel helpless about the problem simply because we have a Council that doesn’t take the problem seriously.

The Labour group of councillors has tried repeatedly to get better noise abatement cover. They have suggested it in successive budgets and have raised the issues through several resolutions to Full Council. Every time the Conservatives have rejected the idea. Most recently, by telling residents that it wasn’t a problem.

If the Council is for anything it should be helping those whose lives are blighted by noise nuisance – but it refuses to take it seriously. Simply holding a street stall mid-week, during the day, at the officers convenience, shows what they really think.