Crackdown on 8,000 noisy neighbours
COUNCIL bosses in the Westcountry are vowing to crack down on noisy neighbours as the number of complaints soared to more than 8,000 in the past 12 months.
Residents in the region could face fines of more than £5,000 and having equipment confiscated from their homes if they fail to keep the noise down.
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The warnings come as Home Secretary Alan Johnson launched a new crackdown on anti-social behaviour yesterday in his first speech on crime in his new role.
Mr Johnson set out details of a website recording what councils are doing to tackle the problem which will help the public hold town halls to account over what steps they are taking to deal with the issue.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that councils in Devon received 4,598 complaints about noise from private properties in the past 12 months resulting in environmental health officers serving 93 noise abatement notices in a drive to stop neighbourhood noise pollution.
There were 1,938 complaints in Cornwall in the past year leading to action being taken against 26 people. Councils confiscated equipment in five cases, removing stereos, televisions and high-performance speakers as a result of persistent noise pollution.
In Somerset, 1,339 were made about noisy neighbours leading to 13 noise abatement notices.
Exeter City Council dealt with more complaints about noise than any other council in the region and bosses are warning residents that they will get tough in taking action.
Councillor Kevin Mitchell, lead councillor for environment and leisure, said the authority was committed to taking action on noise offenders to improve the quality of life for residents.
He added: "Noisemakers should understand that residents shouldn't have to put up with noisy neighbours and that the council will step in when it needs to.
"We accept that people will have outdoor parties and barbecues over the summer and there's nothing wrong with that.
"All we are asking is for people to respect those living nearby and keep the noise down to an acceptable level."
The city council has issued 36 notifications, confiscated equipment from two properties including stereos and televisions, and has issue an Anti-social Behaviour Order – ASBO – after complaints.
In the past 12 months, the authority received 1,208 complaints about noisy neighbours – more than the unitary authorities in Plymouth and Torbay or any of the county's district councils.
Earlier this month, Mr Johnson said the Government had been guilty of "coasting" on anti-social behaviour issues and pledged to redouble its efforts.
He added: "People will be able to see how many crack houses have been closed, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued and how many parenting orders have been issued."
The figures were released to insulation manufacturer Rockwool. Managing director Hans Schreuder said: "Noise pollution is a key concern for residents in the Westcountry. Many householders are relying on their local authority to take appropriate steps to protect their health.
"Living with persistent noise is extremely stressful and can have a severe impact on an individuals' physical and psychological well-being.
"Across the UK, there are huge differences in local authorities' treatment of domestic noise complaints. While some councils focus on mediation and negotiation, others operate a strict policy of enforcement and confiscation of equipment."
Under the Environmental Protection Act, local authorities are required to take all reasonable and practical steps to investigate complaints regarding noise that may be prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
Residents who fail to comply with a noise abatement notice issued by a council are liable to a fine of up to £5,000 and a further fine up to £500 for each day on which the offence continues after the conviction.
UK councils received more than 291,000 complaints about noise from private residences in the past year.
Noise has been cited by local authorities as grounds for granting an Asbo in more than 660 cases in this period.
Seven of the top 10 councils ranked by complaints per 1,000 residents are located in London.
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by Luke Price, UK
Thursday, September 10 2009, 2:25PM
“I am glad to hear it.
The sooner these inconsiderate reprobates realise that they cannot make peoples lives a misery with impunity the better.
I just hope the government actually follows through with this.”
by Jocelyn, Bodmin
Monday, July 06 2009, 8:47PM
“We lived next door to a single parent and her two teenage children. We suffered three years of noise from these individuals with no consideration for us or our 6 months old son. Loud music all hours of the night during the week and weekends. Kids and adults coming and going, screaming and shouting in the back garden. The police don't want to know unless it's happening out on the road and won't get involved if the noise is within the property or in the back garden.
We involved the local council and had two years of diary sheets and the inspector had witnessed the noise on one occasion and still they did nothing. With limited noise equipment available and inspectors which really didn't want to get involved what chance did my family have? In the end we had to move house it was that unbearable. Why should these people be aloud to make other peoples lives such a misery? The law needs tightening and more done to prevent this happening.
We now have lovely neighbours. We pay all our bills including our council tax and get nothing in return! Typical; that those who have nothing get everything and those that work bl**dy hard get nothing back.”
by Tom Hill, St Just
Saturday, July 04 2009, 10:34AM
“I also hate noisy neighbours who have no consideration for others, but surely we do not want another layer of snoopers added to the Council Tax Bill. Some solutions are worse than the problem. Whatever happened to neighbours sorting out their difficulties ? Do we need someone with a degree in art history to fill in another form that gets lost in the system?”
by Reg, Portugal
Saturday, July 04 2009, 9:42AM
“Let's not forget the authorities also have the ability to withdraw the licence from Council House dwellers thus evicting such reprobates. Regrettably, that merely gives the problem to someone else. Where the nuisance factor is on benefits, fining them is no good cos' us tax payers would be paying the fine. One of those never-ending spirals. If they are not benefit grabbers then they can be fined but oh dear ..........”
by Diana Merrett, Falmouth
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:47PM
“For 8 years in the area of Arwenack we have suffered so much because of noise that most families have moved out.
Did anyone listen, not until I rang 3 councillors who wanted me arrested that they went to council and we ended up with our very own Community Wardens who are on patrol every night of the week, all because of NOISE.
Not our fault but those who have no regard for our way of life. In the meantime we are under threat of having 15,000 more of the younger generation coming here on top of what we have now, can you imagine what this will do to us.
what should happen is that every person running a HMO should be signed up to the licensing system where they would all be charged the 5,000's to 20,000's for allowing this to happen.
The excuses I have heard in the 8 years of dealing with Anti-social Behaviour when calling out the Environmental Health Officers has been appalling,
This is why we have our Wardens in which every town and city are putting in place because of Noise.
Again the excuses from the very people who bring them here has also being appalling as they always tells us to prove it, knowing full well we can.
I am glad that we have such a man who has declared that enough is enough.
Now the environmental people cannot tell me and hundreds of others that there is nothing that they can do.
Diana”