Audible Intruder Alarm

Effective 1 January 2007 the area of North Norfolk District Council was designated an Alarm Notification Area. This was actioned using powers available to the Council under the Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 and allows the Council to deal with any misfiring alarm causing annoyance to the community. (The DEFRA website contains guidance notes on these powers.)

What does this mean to you?

If you have an audible burglar alarm then you will need to notify the Council of key holder details so that any misfiring alarm can be dealt with quickly and effectively.

How can I register my details?

• You can fill the online request form to request a registration form to be sent to you in the post. (See below.)
• You can download the registration form and return it. (See below.)
• You can enter key holder details directly onto the page. (Coming soon.)

What do you do if you hear a burglar alarm?

In the first instance always call the police. If they have attended and there has not been any criminal activity, but the alarm is still firing for more than 20 minutes continuously, or for over an hour intermittently, then contact Environmental Health on 01263 515301/516189/516085.

What will the council do if they receive a complaint?

If an alarm is misfiring and causing annoyance to neighbouring properties:

• We will contact the key holders on the register requesting they silence the alarm.
• If no key holder is registered, or they cannot be contacted, then Environmental Health have the power to silence the alarm using whichever steps are necessary; either through silencing the external mounted sounding box or, obtaining a warrant to enter the property, and silencing the alarm system completely.
• Any works undertaken by the Council will be recharged to the owner of the property. Any property will be left in a secure state.

What will happen if I do not register?

Failure to register key holder details can result in a maximum level 3 fine upon summary conviction of £1,000 or payment of a fixed penalty notice of £80.

Frequently Asked Questions:

I have registered my key holder details with Boing (Norfolk Police), what do I need to do?
Enter Boing as your first key holder and we will contact them should your alarm be reported as sounding.

My alarm is linked to a call centre or the police, do I need to register?
Yes, we still need details of your key holder as, if the alarm has malfunctioned, it may contact the call centre and we would still need to attend if we receive complaints.

Is my data held securely and will it be made available to anyone else?
The data will be held in line with the Data Protection Act on a secure database accessed only be Environmental Health staff dealing with queries related to misfiring alarms.

I don't have any key holders, it's just me!
Please complete the form, as best you can, with all your contact details, or as many as you can, including mobile telephone numbers.

What is a key holder?

• A person who holds a key to access the premises in which the controls to the alarm are situated.
• A person who knows how to silence the alarm and has agreed to be a key holder.
• A person who is normally resident or situated within the vicinity of the premises.
• A key holding company e.g. Boing.

What if my details change?
If any details change you must notify the Council within 28 days to meet the requirements of the legislation.

Does this relate to car and fire alarms?
No, we are only interested in audible intruder alarms located in premises and businesses.

Forms:

Link to Registration of Audible Alarm (PDF, 19KB)

Link to Registration of Audible Alarm (Word, 33.5KB)

Link to an on line, electronic form to provide key holder details Register an Audible Intruder Alarm

Return address for forms is:

North Norfolk District Council
Environmental Health
Council Offices
Holt Road
Cromer
Norfolk NR27 9EN

Links:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/legislation/cnea/index.htm

http://www.nsca.org.uk/pages/environment_facts/noise_nuisance.cfm

http://www.respect.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=7918