Councils must look into complaints about noise that could be a statutory nuisance (covered by the Environmental Protection Act 1990).
For the noise to count as a statutory nuisance it must do one of the following:
- unreasonably and substantially interfere with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premises
- injure health or be likely to injure health.
Where possible we will try to resolve noise problems informally. If this doesn’t work we can take action to stop the noise nuisance. We can investigate:
- continuous dog barking
- continuous sounding of car or house alarms
- DIY activities for prolonged periods of time or at unreasonable hours
- loud amplified music or loud TV
- commercial noise – for example from construction sites or demolition work
- licensed premises noise – for example from pubs and clubs.
Noise can become a nuisance depending on:
- how often the noise occurs
- how loud it is
- the time of day
- the nature of the area – rural, residential etc
- whether or not the sound has a particularly irritating characteristic – high pitched, heavy bass etc.