Growing volume of opposition to noise nuisance

From: Mrs SM Barnard, North Park Road, Leeds.

I APPLAUD Mr Foster’s letter (Yorkshire Post, January 17) on music in public places. There is, in fact, already an organisation devoted to campaigning against this forced listening; it is called Pipedown, and counts several well-known public figures 
among its members.

I would extend the attempt to bring peace to the shops to dealing with the problem of buskers in Leeds’s streets. It is astonishing there are no “pitches” for these people; anyone can come into town and set up an instrument and amplifier.

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I have been told that you can approach one of the city centre “wardens” (if you can find one) for help, but that they have no power to do anything about this nuisance.

As one turns on his amplifier, the next increases the volume 
of his to drown the first one out, and so on along the street. Leeds City Council’s code, which states that amplifiers should not be used, is a dead letter.

I attempted to have a conversation with a Big Issue seller on his authorised pitch in Briggate, but a busker had 
set up opposite and we 
could not hear each other 
speak.