Joseph Farrugia, Attard
It’s bigger... it’s louder... it’s back
This is what the Club Numero Uno is promising residents of Attard, Lija and Mosta for September 10: another sleepless night with blaring noise and throbbing base till the early hours of the morning. Yes, this esteemed establishment is now blatantly advertising its events with the guarantee that they will be even louder than before.
It is inconceivable how the authorities are completely ignoring the legitimate pleas by citizens living in this area and allowing the owner to ride roughshod over their basic right to peace and quiet during the night.
Anyone who has bothered reporting Club Numero Uno to the police in the early hours of the morning is well aware how pathetic their response is. They will tell you that Club Numero Uno and Gianpula have the permit to operate till 4 a.m. and that they are helpless to do anything about the situation. This is, of course, completely incorrect and is just a convenient excuse for the police to remain passive. The permit to open till 4 a.m. does not entail disturbing the public peace and depriving thousands of people of their sleep.
It appears that, for some reason or other, our forces of law and order would rather look the other way and pounce on softer targets, such as an immature youth skinny dipping during the night hours. I am sure the quality of life of many people will improve if Club Numero Uno organisers and their clients follow that youth’s example and leave the rest of us in blissful slumber. It is high time this abuse comes to an end and that clubs are forced to either soundproof their establishments or else to turn off their noise at 11 p.m.
The law should take a clear stand on such fundamental issues and, if there are any lacunae that are impeding the course of justice, then it is up to Malta’s Numero Uno to establish that, in a democracy, citizens’ rights can be protected from the likes of Club Numero Uno’s transgressions.
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Marianna Galea Xuereb
Sep 7th 2010, 23:56
The irony is that if the Numero Uno management invests in more speakers but limits the noise from each of them to acceptable levels, it will not only reduce nuisance to residents who need to sleep but will also enhance the disco experience to its patrons. I've been there a few Sundays ago and I really enjoyed the music from the seventies and eighties. But I would have enjoyed myself even more had I been able to understand the conversations going on around me.
As far as I’m concerned an “immature youth skinny dipping during the night hours” does not cause anybody else any harm. However, extremely loud noises cause all manner of long term health problems to practically every human and every animal.
Adrian Sciberras
Sep 7th 2010, 22:25
@ R Scicluna... stop being a joke - "noise reaches Dingli", let the youngsters enjoy themselves (responsively), don't be a spoil sport. Go for some ballroom dancing.
@ All you all moaners and groaners try to make get something positive out of it and try to find concrete arguments.
John Betts
Sep 8th 2010, 11:49
Concrete arguments? Right: it adds to the risk of heart disease. Look up the WHO report I mentioned in my reply further down.
It is not about ruining peoples' fun - it's about getting some rest and respecting others and their health.
If you cannot hear the noise from a distance, tough luck, then attending these events may already have impaired your hearing.
Mr Aquilina: congratulations on your proficiency in trolling.
Why not join the fun? Because, regrettably, both I and my wife work long hours and get up early in the morning.
And because I like music, not noise; but that, of course, is a matter of taste.
R Scicluna
Sep 7th 2010, 19:35
The noise reaches Dingli as well. Complaining to the police only yields the 'they've got a permit' excuse. What about the regulation of noise levels? If the music does not let us sleep when we are quite far away imagine the damage to clubgoers' hearing.
Karl Consiglio
Sep 7th 2010, 18:58
L'awtoritajiet ghedin jidhu bil-poplu.
john fenech
Sep 7th 2010, 17:04
WHO- LARES report:
Dr Sona Nevismalova –Critical health effects could appear when maximum average nocturnal energy level inside bedrooms exceeded Leq 30 dB (A) and outside bedrooms Leq 45 dB (A) and in the presence of a limited number of events per hour with an energy exceeding the baseline level of LA maximum 45dB (A) level (inside bedrooms) and/or 60 dB (A) outside bedrooms.
An effect of noise is sleep disturbances. Sleep can be severely disturbed by noise. Acute sleep disturbances effect performance and in the long run health. For adults significantly elevated relative risks in the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the musculoskeletal system as well as with depression exist with noise induced sleep disturbances. Many of these diseases increase with age and therefore in children only appear rarely. With children significantly elevated relative risks in the respiratory system as well as in migraines (self reported) are of great importance.
Several European countries have strict regulation about noise disturbance while in Malta the noise regulations are mostly cosmetic, as Mr. Borg comment confirm.
For instance noise from leisure centres is in contravention of the Trading Licence Act – 38 2(a-d).
Adrian Sciberras
Sep 7th 2010, 14:27
if you can't sleep? why don't join them in the fun?
Pierre Aquilina
Sep 7th 2010, 13:31
Yes it's bigger ... it's louder and finally it's back! The much awaited ROCK PARTY is back! It's a guaranteed party till 4am! We'll rock all night long this coming Friday!
Yanes Desira
Sep 7th 2010, 13:05
....and what is Freeport / government / mepa promising us residents - expansion of the terminal (more noise)...expansion in the powerstation (more pollution).....expansion of the gas board (more polution)....btw - all the year round........be calm Mr Farrugia and let us the whole island celebrate our Pajjiz tal Mickey Mouse - pacensja ux !!
Joseph N Attard
Sep 7th 2010, 11:54
I say shame on the Minister/s concerned. I say shame on all the MP's representing Attard and other effected areas. This Club has been disturbing the night sleep of hundreds, if not thousands, for long years, and yet no word has come from on high to desist. The police will only act decisively if given the go ahead from the correct quarters. It is useless for us residents to bleat here or in the newspapers. We must all approach our MPs and have a few hard words with them. We must ensure that our collective protest is stronger than whatever immunity the owners of this Club seem to possess.
Paul Caruana
Sep 7th 2010, 11:45
When the wind is in the Siggiewi direction the noise is even heard in Siggiewi notwithstanding the distance and disturbs the sleep of residents especially those living on the outskirts. Pity those living much nearer. They must be getting mad with all this noise.
Joe Fenech
Sep 7th 2010, 11:42
Thank you Mr Farruigia. We have been complaining to the Attard Council for so long that we have lost hope that any action would be taken. Local Councils are USELESS as are the authorities.
Philip Cassar
Sep 7th 2010, 11:37
They will tell you that Club Numero Uno and Gianpula have the permit to operate till 4 a.m. and that they are helpless to do anything about the situation.
Then the STUPID authorities should revoke the permits. Or perhaps someone is dirtying someone's hands?
Tony Borg (H'Attard)
Sep 7th 2010, 10:38
Thank you Mr. Farrugia, for highlighting this problem once again, as many have done before. I also have written to the "The Times" on this matter, and have also previously both reported to the Police and raised the issue with one of our local cabinet members.
It seems the authorities are impotent at taking any action despite the fact, as you correctly stated, that a licence to stay open till 4 am does not automatically give you a licence to disturb the neighbouring towns and villages with that awful deep,throbbing base!
It is the duty of the Police to stop this blatant abuse, licence or no licence! This club at ta' Qali is breaking the law by allowing noise to disturb others after 11 pm. and should be stopped immediately! Why do residents have to go to Court privately when this is clearly an abuse of licence? I also expect the Mayor of Attard to speak out and tackle the problem for the benefit of all the residents of Attard.
I am still confident that the Police will put an end to this complaint which seems to surface every summer.
John Betts
Sep 7th 2010, 10:22
An article in the science section of The Guardian highlighted the findings of a World Health Organization report on correlation between health and noise:
"According to the WHO guidelines, the noise threshold for cardiovascular problems is chronic night-time exposure of 50 decibels (dB) or above - the noise of light traffic."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/aug/23/sciencenews.uknews
Attenuation of sound by building structures can reduce the noise of light traffic to below this threshold; but the higher noise levels produced by entertainment establishments are less easy to attenuate - especially in the case of low frequency beats. Sound insulation can diminish, and not eliminate, noise, and if the level is still higher than the threshold the problem remains.
And this noise is in many cases much louder than light traffic.
The only solutions are (1) soundproof all houses in the vicinity (2) evacuate the surroundings (3) enforce soundproofing regulations for entertainment establishments. It should be clear which is the only viable option.
To inevitable party-noise apologists: this is not about preventing fun. This is about the health of people who live in areas close by (or not so close but still in range) .