STREET
BUSKERS!
This week On Your Behalf is
talking about street buskers. On Your Behalf has heard complaints
from city centre workers who are sick to death of the noise and
the same old songs!
Could you stand it? Day in, day out - the same old songs!
This week we’re looking at the legislation, or lack of it,
that covers street busking.
But what do you think? Is it adding colour and fun to our streets,
or just a headache and a nuisance? Perhaps you’re an office
worker, fed up with the noise outside your window.
LISTENERS’ COMMENTS ON
STREET BUSKERS
• Belfast needs
more buskers and mime artists like European cities
• Buskers are to be warmly welcomed – they add colour
to the streets of Belfast. Rather them than, street traders, charity
collectors and common beggars!
• I have no problem at all with buskers – at least they
are mugging pensioners or breaking into houses.
STATEMENT BY BELFAST CITY COUNCIL
RE: CONTROL OF STREET BUSKING IN THE CITY OF BELFAST
“There is no specific Belfast City Council bye-law in relation
to the control of street busking. Indeed, as far as the Council
can ascertain, there is in fact no specific legislation governing
busking.
“Under the Vagrancy Act, the Police have the power of arrest
if someone soliciting money is creating a public nuisance; however
it could be argued that buskers are not vagrants soliciting money,
but street entertainers relying on public goodwill.
“Under the Street Trading Act, the Council can act if a busker
is selling CDs or tapes of their music, and therefore is trading;
however, most buskers do not trade in this manner and the legislation
is not applicable if someone merely is playing music;
“While Section 62 of the Noise and Statutory Nuisances Act
1993 relates specifically to the use of loudspeakers in streets,
this legislation only applies in Great Britain and there is no complementary
legislation in Northern Ireland pertaining to noise generated by
buskers or any other form of street noise. Existing legislation
in Northern Ireland applies only to noise generated from within
specific premises, whether commercial or domestic.
“It is the opinion of Belfast City Council that the most relevant
existing legislation in relation to the control of street busking
is the Roads Order 1993, Article 88 of which provides that it is
an offence to obstruct free passage along a road, including a foot
path). This legislation is enforced by the Police.”
And a spokeperson for the PSNI
said - Busking is not an offence therefore police do not take action
unless offences occur eg - disorderly behaviour.
E mail you views or vote
on line
oyb@bbc.co.uk
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