View report page

NOISE ABATEMENT.
(Cont.)
(ii) Loudspeakers in streets (cont)
(f) By a travelling showman on land which
is being used for the purpose of a
pleasure fair;
(g) In case of emergency.
No trade, business or entertainment may be advertised
by loudspeakers at any time, except that between noon and
7 p.m. a loudspeaker fixed to a vehicle used for the sale
of perishable foodstuffs may be operated to announce that
the commodities are on sale; the loudspeaker is, however,
not to be so operated as to give reasonable cause for
annoyance to persons in the vicinity.
(iii) Byelaws.
Section 4 preserves existing byelaws and
byelaw making powers.
The Public soon became interested in this Act and
complaints continued to be received during the year, some
of which were rather trivial.
All the complaints were investigated, and by persuasive
means a number of items received attention which brought
relief if not complete satisfaction to those aggrieved.
This is a new field of activity for the Public Health
Inspectors as hitherto no such powers have been in the
hands of Councils except those with local Act provisions.
The subject has therefore had to be approached with
caution, but the response of those who found they were
causing annoyance (even though insufficient evidence had
been obtained to prove actual nuisance) has been quite
co-operative.
It seems likely therefore that tactful handling of
the situation will in most cases produce the desired
results without recourse to statutory action, which is
just as well, for the prescribed procedure appears to
present many difficulties for those charged with the
administration of the Act if the need for prosecutions
should arise.
CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956.
The Council gave further consideration to the
establishment of smoke control areas including the statement
prepared by the Minister of Housing and Local Government in
answer to representations which had been made to him
suggesting amendments to the provisions of the Act relating
to such areas.
In spite of these representations, the Ministry had
reached the conclusion that it would not be possible to
consider amending the provisions of the Act in any of the
ways suggested, and the Minister hoped that, as the need
for the control of domestic smoke in the interest of public
health had been established beyond any doubt, the Town Council
45.