The Volta Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Hope Smith Lomotey has announced that his department will soon shut down unlicensed churches and drinking spots.

He also called on churches whose licenses have expired to renew their permits to enable them to continue with their operations.

In a Daily Graphic report, Mr Lomotey explained that the move has become necessary to help reduce noise from some churches located at unauthorized places.

According to him, prolonged noise was a public health issue and needed to be addressed.

He said this in an interview with Daily Graphic after EPA had a meeting with church leaders in the Volta region on issues of building permits and noisemaking.

“The same goes for drinking spot operators,” he added.

The director said "Apart from hearing impairment, loud noise could also cause high blood pressure, heart diseases, sleep disorders and stress for people within the neighbourhood," Daily Graphic reported.

He said the permitted noise level in the day was from 6 am to 10 pm.

For residential areas, 55 decibels and 48 decibels are the permitted noise level during the night.