Increased concern over environmental matters has led to the introduction of much legislation in recent years. The latest document to be presented to Parliament is the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill, writes Alex Carmichael.

The proposed Bill has connotations for various sectors within the security industry. If passed in its current format, intruder alarm installers will have to come to terms with changes to the rules regarding ‘alarm notification areas’. The proposals would allow local authorities to either designate or undesignate such areas. Intruder alarm owners within designated areas would be given 28 days’ notice to send the local authority the necessary key holder information. This would apply to both current and all new audible intruder alarms.

The BSIA has voiced a number of concerns about the Bill. There are several potential logistical problems, including the fact that local authorities can designate and undesignate areas at will. Audible intruder alarms outside of designated areas may still cause a nuisance, but there will be no key holder information to solve the problem.

Owners of monitored audible alarms that are eligible for police response already incur additional costs and face potential penalties under the ACPO Security Systems Policy. This also requires them to register key holders’ details with their Alarm Receiving Centre. The BSIA has therefore recommended that such alarms remain exempt from the Bill.

The Bill also empowers local authorities to ensure that light does not affect neighbouring properties or stray upward into the sky. This may well have consequences for security lighting companies and CCTV specialists using visible lighting as an illumination tool.

The BSIA has recommended that security lighting be exempt from the Bill due to the negative impact it will have on low level crime, vandalism and disorder.

Source

SMT

Postscript

Alex Carmichael is technical director of the British Security Industry Association