Noise Pollution

We deal with the following type of noise complaints under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993 and Noise Act 1996:

Animal Noises
Commercial noise
Construction noise
Entertainment noise
Industrial noise
Intruder alarms
Neighbour noise
Vehicle alarms

A noise nuisance can be any noise that is coming from another property so that it affects your enjoyment of your property and is unreasonable. We cannot deal with traffic noise or noise from people shouting or fighting in the street.

Constraints/Restrictions

The only constraints on hours that exist for noise usually relate to commercial premises and construction noise. Hours of operation of commercial premises may be controlled through planning restrictions, or (in the case of entertainment premises or registered club) through conditions on a premises licence or club certificate regulating the hours of operation, sale or supply of alcohol, and provision of entertainment. If you wish to check the conditions of a particular premises licence or club certificate, please access the Licensing public register.

Construction and demolition noise is usually restricted by planners to between 8:00 and 18:00 Monday to Friday and 8:00 and 13:00 on a Saturday with no work to be carried out on a Sunday or Bank Holiday. This planning condition acknowledges that the above activities will cause unavoidable noise and seeks to minimise the disturbance in the area by restricting the hours of work allowed.

For domestic properties it is accepted that as background noise levels are lower at night, noise disturbance is greater between the hours of 23:00 to 07:00 and can cause disturbance to sleep.

What happens if I complain about noise?

Once you have contacted us we will discuss the matter with you. After this we will send you some noise log sheets and will write to the alleged noisemaker. They will not be told who has made the compaint. You will be asked to fill in the log sheets for 14 days, after which time you must return them to us for further action to be taken. Dictaphones are available if you find written logsheets difficult to work with. Once we have received your log sheets we will assess them and we may arrange to carry out visits to establish whether a statutory nuisance (a legally defined nuisance) exists.

When we consider if a statutory nuisance exists we will take into account the type, volume and duration of the noise, the time(s) of day and how often it happens. If we actually witness a nuisance a notice will be served to stop it. The notice has a 21 day appeal and this would be heard in the Magistrates' Court. You may be required to give evidence in court. If the alleged noisemaker doesn't comply with the noticeand stop the noise, they may be prosecuted in the Magistrates' Court, again you may be required to give evidence.