Alarms

Premise Alarms

• Noise made by the operation of audible burglar alarms is a common cause of complaint.
• Owners have a responsibility to ensure that the device is fitted primarily for their own protection and does not become a source of nuisance to their neighbours or the general public.

Installation

To avoid disturbance to the public all such alarm systems must:

• Be fitted with an automatic cut-out device which will disconnect both internal and external sounders (either bell or buzzer) after a period of no more than 20 minutes following activation.
• A cut-out device can be added with a flashing light. This will continue to operate after the sounder has ceased to alert the public and police to the alarmed state of the property.

Please note that we are not an alarm notification area and therefore do not hold a register of nominated keyholders.

Vehicle Alarms

Owners who seek to protect their vehicle (be it a car, van or motorbike etc.) by installing a system of this type or who purchase a vehicle with an existing system fitted must be aware of their legal responsibilities.

These requirements are:

1. Vehicle alarms must be fitted with a 5 minute cut-out device under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.
2. Under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended by the Noise and Statutory Nuisances Act 1993) the ‘registered keeper’ must not allow an alarm to sound frequently or for a prolonged period, so as to cause a nuisance to local residents and people working in the immediate vicinity.
3. Maintain your alarm system in good working order. Ensure that you have key holders who can turn off the alarm in an emergency and/ or the alarm automatically cuts off within 20 minutes.
4. Set your alarm to a reasonable level of sensitivity to minimize ‘false alarms’.

Where a Case Officer of the Council witnesses the prolonged or frequent ringing of an alarm from an unattended vehicle, the Officer may:

1. Serve a noise abatement notice, requiring the person responsible to de-activate the alarm and carry out works to prevent the recurrence of the nuisance.
2. If, after an hour the person has not come forward the Council may deactivate the alarm or remove the vehicle. Full costs of this action will be recovered from the ‘person responsible’ or the ‘registered keeper’ of the vehicle. This may be in the region of £300.