Agenda item

Questions from the Public

To receive answers in respect of questions from the public to Members of the Executive asked in accordance with Rule 11 of the Council Procedure Rules.

 

(a)  Questions will be asked in the order in which notice of them was received, except that the Chairman may group together similar questions.

(b)  The period for questions by the public shall be limited so that no further questions shall be put after the elapse of 15 minutes from the commencement of the first question.

(c)  A maximum of three minutes is allowed for the each question to be read.

(d)  A questioner who has put a question in person may also put one supplementary question without notice to the member who has replied to his or her original question. A supplementary question must arise directly out of the original question or the reply.

(e)  Afterwards, any other Member at the Chairman's discretion may speak for up to two minutes on a question or reply.

 

Questions from the Public

 

In accordance with Rule 11 of the Council Procedure Rules, Penelope James gave notice of her intention to ask the following question of Councillor N S Kenton, the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning:

 

“Why was Dover District Council able to attend and stop the music at the recent Mind Festival in Coldred on Saturday June 4, 2016 at the request of local residents from Lydden but has been, seemingly, unwilling to enforce the Noise Abatement Notice on Music served on Lydden Hill Race Circuit on May 21, 2012 at any time during the past four years when called out?

 

Local residents have been complaining about noise from evening entertainment from Lydden Hill Race Circuit for many years now. We find it unacceptable that we have to put up with an evening of booming music after a day of intrusive racing noise. Dover District Council is aware in advance of the dates which are liable to be noisy and yet, when the Out of Hours Office is called by Wootton residents, it still appears unprepared to enforce the NAN.

 

As we understand it, in order to be in a position to call Out of Hours one needs to be able to hear the noise inside the house.  Wootton is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as is Lydden Hill Race Circuit, and in the summer residents like to sit outside in the garden for dinner or a drink – this is why we have chosen to live here. Some residents have lived here since before the Circuit commenced operation and many more of us before the current owners took over and the noise increased exponentially.  But more and more frequently over the past 8 years we find ourselves having to retire inside and shut all the doors and windows on beautiful summer evenings in an attempt to get away from the noise, and yet still it is intrusive.

 

We appreciate and understand that the Circuit is going to hold a number of noisy events during the year. Our grievance is that these evening events do not always finish on time, are extremely noisy (yes even the Silent discos) and take place after a long day of noise. When we call Out of Hours no one responds or the officer comes out too late and, most importantly, no subsequent action is ever taken. Yet we have been told that this is something that would be very simple to sort out.

 

If Dover District Council can stop the music for the Mind Festival why does it not enforce the NAN on Lydden Hill Race Circuit?”

 

Minutes:

In accordance with Rule 11 of the Council Procedure Rules, Ms Penelope James gave notice of her intention to ask the following question of the Portfolio Holder for Environment, Waste and Planning, Councillor N S Kenton:

 

“Why was Dover District Council able to attend and stop the music at the recent Mind Festival in Coldred on Saturday June 4, 2016 at the request of local residents from Lydden but has been, seemingly, unwilling to enforce the Noise Abatement Notice on Music served on Lydden Hill Race Circuit on May 21, 2012 at any time during the past four years when called out?

 

Local residents have been complaining about noise from evening entertainment from Lydden Hill Race Circuit for many years now. We find it unacceptable that we have to put up with an evening of booming music after a day of intrusive racing noise. Dover District Council is aware in advance of the dates which are liable to be noisy and yet, when the Out of Hours Office is called by Wootton residents, it still appears unprepared to enforce the NAN.

 

As we understand it, in order to be in a position to call Out of Hours one needs to be able to hear the noise inside the house.  Wootton is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as is Lydden Hill Race Circuit, and in the summer residents like to sit outside in the garden for dinner or a drink – this is why we have chosen to live here. Some residents have lived here since before the Circuit commenced operation and many more of us before the current owners took over and the noise increased exponentially.  But more and more frequently over the past 8 years we find ourselves having to retire inside and shut all the doors and windows on beautiful summer evenings in an attempt to get away from the noise, and yet still it is intrusive.

 

We appreciate and understand that the Circuit is going to hold a number of noisy events during the year. Our grievance is that these evening events do not always finish on time, are extremely noisy (yes even the Silent discos) and take place after a long day of noise. When we call Out of Hours no one responds or the officer comes out too late and, most importantly, no subsequent action is ever taken. Yet we have been told that this is something that would be very simple to sort out.

 

If Dover District Council can stop the music for the Mind Festival why does it not enforce the NAN on Lydden Hill Race Circuit?”

 

In response, the Portfolio Holder for Property Management and Public Protection, Councillor T J Bartlett, advised that officers had been visiting/monitoring a number of licensed premises and events including the Mind Festival at Chilli Farm which was licensed under a Temporary Event Notice to provide amplified music until midnight. Officers had been based at Coldred where the nearest noise sensitive properties to the event were located but it was believed that due to weather conditions the noise was actually a problem further away in Lydden rather than Coldred. Following the investigation of a complaint in Lydden, officers visited the organisers of the Mind Festival and the music was turned off shortly after midnight.

 

In respect of Lydden Race Circuit, the Council had received 8 out of hour noise complaints since the serving of a noise abatement notice on 24 May 2012. Of the 8 calls, 6 did not warrant a visit from officers as the noise level had been reduced or the complainant did not feel a visit was warranted. Of the remaining 2 calls, in 1 instance the noise level was found to be insufficient to warrant a breach of the notice. In the other instance, on 23 May 2015, whilst the noise was sufficient to warrant a breach of the notice it ceased during a visit to the affected property by officers. The Council did subsequently write to the circuit to remind it of its responsibilities.

 

Residents were urged to report any instances where loud music was audible in their home or gardens to the council’s out-of-hours service and if repeated breaches of the notice were witnesses, enforcement action would be taken.

 

For her supplementary question, Ms James expressed concerns that the out-of-hours service was not responsive enough and Councillor T J Bartlett agreed to look into the matter further and follow it up with Ms James outside of the meeting.