Christmas music on Grafton Street sparks noise pollution investigation

DUBLIN CITY Council is investigating potential noise pollution caused by Christmas music amplified from the Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street.

Music is being broadcast from the store during the evening to attract shoppers to the Christmas window display which was unveiled last week.

The council has sent an enforcement officer to investigate the noise to check whether it contravenes the planning controls for the Grafton Street area.

Grafton Street is at the centre of an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA). This puts restrictions on businesses in the street in an effort to preserve the historical and architectural heritage.

The majority of these controls relate to the structure of buildings, such as the design of shopfronts, lighting, projecting signs and any changes to the fabric of the buildings. However, the ACA designation also carries requirements in relation to amplified noise.

The Grafton Street ACA document states that: "No amplified announcements, music or other material shall be played from any premises to advertise goods or services."

It also states: "Any such sounds within the premises shall be controlled so as to be inaudible from adjoining premises or at two metres from the frontage."

A spokeswoman for Brown Thomas said that Christmas music is traditionally played from the store every year.

"It is used to reflect the Christmas scenes in the widows. The objective is to add music and theatre to the street - to add a Christmas atmosphere."

Brown Thomas had received no complaints about the music, she said.

"We have had calls complementing us on the festive atmosphere we are bringing to Grafton Street," she said.