There are controls for chimes from ice cream vans under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. There is a Code of Practice on noise from ice cream van chimes, etc. 1982 which gives guidance and outlines the offences.
The code of practice
It is an offence to sound chimes before 12noon or after 7pm. It is also an offence to sound chimes in such a way as to give reasonable cause for annoyance. A code of practice approved by the Government gives guidance on methods of minimising annoyance caused by the chimes. The main points of the Code of Practice are: -
Do not sound chimes
- for longer than four seconds at a time except on approach to a selling point
- more often than once every three minutes except on the approach to a selling point
- when the vehicle is stationary
- when in sight of another vehicle which is trading
- when within 50 metres of schools (during school hours), hospitals and places of worship (on Sundays and other recognised days of worship)
- more often than once every 2 hours in the same length of street
- louder than 80 dB(A) at 7.5 metres
- as loudly in quiet areas or narrow streets as elsewhere