"Overwhelming": Sheffield residents on street preacher noise after city centre "ear-splitting" complaints
When we took to the streets, there were mixed views.
A petition that claims Sheffield city centre streets have been made “horrendous” because of the “ear-splitting” volume of street preachers and others has split opinion with local residents.
A petition was presented to Sheffield City Council on Wednesday that over 250 people have signed calling for a curb on the “noisy” street preachers.
However, when The Star took to The Moor in the city centre to ask locals their views on the topic, it was a mixed bag of opinions, with points raised around free speech and the content of the amplified voices.
The issue was also raised to the council last November. Councillor Laura Moynahan called for a curb on “noisy” street preachers, saying she doesn’t want “somebody shouting at me that I’m doomed”.
The woman who presented the petition to council said: “Walking through our main shopping streets is often a horrible experience, sometimes with several different groups shouting at you, or even doing pre-recorded messages shouting at you, at ear-splitting volumes.
“This continues through the day and sometimes past midnight, keeping city centre residents awake. This behaviour is not at all reasonable in the first place, so won’t be solved by voluntary agreement.
“Those in power need to put something in place to make it fair for all of us.”
When we took to the streets, there were mixed views.
One person said the number of preachers could be “overwhelming” at times and was for limiting them in some way.
They said: “I’m around here all the time and I do get a load of people coming up to me asking me the same thing I’ve heard over and over again.
“I know they mean well but there are a lot of people on The Moor doing it, and it gets overwhelming all the time.
“I think it’s a good idea to maybe stop having so many, but I don’t think it gets that much to the point where it’s something you have to book.
However, another shopper passing by was more of the opinion that as long as their isn’t favouritism involved on who could preach and what could be said, then they were fine with the practice.
They said: “I think so long as everybody has a chance, that’s fine. About booking a slot? I never thought it was necessary really. I think the less red tape around this sort of thing the better. Let people say what they want to say so long as everyone equally gets a chance.
“But here [on The Moor] there’s always somebody saying something - why not? They don’t dominate the area with too much noise, but you could say that about the music or preaching.”
The speaker said the presenter of a pro-amplified preaching petition to the full council last month claimed there was no evidence of people being driven from the city centre. However, that’s what the 253 signatories to the petition were saying. She said she sees rows and people getting agitated at being shouted at.
Cities such as Leicester have included amplified noise in their city centre PSPOs (public spaces protection orders). Anyone who wants to use an amplifier must pre-book a street pitch. Chair Coun Brian Holmshaw said street preaching or busking can bring character, colour and vibrancy. The Human Rights Act protects freedom of speech.
“However, busking or amplified preaching can sometimes lead to complaints, as you’ve outlined, particularly in relation to excessive noise or obstruction of public spaces. So these cause disturbance and annoyance to visitors, to residents and to businesses,” he said.
He added the council is working on a voluntary code of practice. That will involve interested parties and he has contacted Alex McLean, who launched the petition. People can lodge complaints using an email address, [email protected] .
Coun Joe Otten commented later that he was surprised this has not been added to the city centre PSPO, which governs different types of anti-social behaviour.
Another person we spoke to raised the issue of buskers and said that they’ve never caused a problem for them personally, but raised if religious “salvation” was what the public were looking for currently.
They said: “I suppose it’s basically the same as being a busker, right? They have to get a licence and a pitch.
“Street preachers have always been around as long as I’ve been in Sheffield. I’ve never really minded them.
“Obviously they’re loud. I don’t think people necessarily go out of their way to hear stuff like that!
“I think a lot of them tend to be pretty hard Christians. It makes me feel pity, really. They’re trying to ‘save’ people, but this is not the salvation people are keen for, who probably want more to do with economic stability.
“Preachers should probably go through the same channels as someone else with a microphone who wants to make noise in town.
“I didn’t realise it was totally unregulated and they were just rocking up. I’m all for freedom of expression, otherwise you can’t have a fair and honest society.
“If they feel like if this is how someone wants to promote their culture they should go through the same channels as someone with music, the nature of the content doesn’t change that.”