Noisy Neighbours
From time to time we may all be able to hear noises which
originate from outside our homes. Most of the time these do not
affect or bother us, but sometimes they can interfere with our own
enjoyment of our homes. The Environmental Health Unit has Officers
available who may be able to help resolve these problems.
First of all, you must identify where the noise is coming from, if
you can.
Then try having a word with your neighbour yourself – they may not
be aware that their noise can be heard outside their home.
If this does not work, or you cannot speak to your neighbour, you
can contact us for help. We will need information relating to
yourself, the nature of the problem and the source of the noise.
You can telephone Environmental Health on 01237 718099. We cannot
respond to anonymous complaints as we need to prove nuisance at the
home of the people disturbed by the noise.
We will ask you to keep a diary of the noisy occurrences for
approximately two weeks or sometimes longer.
We may come out and listen to the noise ourselves, and contact the
other party/your neighbour.
We will suggest a solution or compromise to both parties if we
consider the noise to be unreasonable. However, it is possible that
we feel there is no justification for our involvement. In this
case, we would offer advice to you, and explain the reasons for our
decision.
More than 95% of noisy neighbour complaints are satisfactorily
resolved in this way.
For the remainder of situations where the neighbour/perpetrator
does not respond to the informal approach, we will commence more
formal action.
This formal action involves the service of a Statutory Notice
requiring specific measures to be taken to reduce the noise, and
then, if this does not work, the commencement of legal proceedings.
This is always a last resort, and we would require complainants to
appear in Court as our witnesses.