What we can investigate

  • Loud music from neighbours

  • Extractor fans e.g. from takeaway restaurants
  • Shop delivery trucks at unreasonable hours
  • Industrial machinery
  • Entertainment
  • Ventilation systems
  • Alarms
  • Factories
  • Dog barking
  • Construction and demolition
  • Music from shops, pubs and clubs

What we can't investigate

Whilst all complaints are treated seriously, we can't investigate the following:

  • Anonymous complaints*
  • Noise from unknown sources
  • Common domestic noise (e.g. lawn mowers, washing machines, hoovers etc.)
  • Road traffic, railway or aircraft noise
  • Emergency vehicles
  • Fireworks in the street
  • Traffic noise (including essential maintenance) - see the Highways England
  • Railway noise (including essential maintenance) - see the Network Rail
  • Aircraft noise - see the Civil Aviation Authority

*If you wish to make a complaint anonymously we'll still record the complaint but we won't be able to investigate as the law requires officers to assess the impact that noise has on the person who has complained.

What you can do

The most important thing you can do before contacting us is to try and contact your neighbour or the business yourself, explaining the issue and how it's affecting you.

Most importantly ask if they can do something about it. You'll probably find that in most instances they might be completely unaware that they are causing such a problem. 

If you're a Golden Gates Housing Trust (GGHT) tenant please use their online form.

What we do following a request for service

Your complaint will be allocated to a specific officer and you will be given their name and contact telephone number to be used throughout the duration of the opened case.

You'll also receive an acknowledgement of your complaint and a diary sheet for you to record the disturbances you'll experience over the coming weeks.

We'll provide full guidance on how to fill out the record sheet as it's really important that the sheet is filled out accurately, as this may be used as evidence in possible legal action.

Once the diary sheet has been completed your designated officer will review the completed diary and may contact the source of the problem, visit your property to try and witness the noise or install noise monitoring equipment. If the information provided in the diary is insufficient the officer will contact you to review the best course of action.

If your designated officer is satisfied that the noise is a statutory nuisance then they'll issue a notice. Failure to comply with this notice is a criminal offence that may lead to seizure of noise making equipment and potentially lead to prosecution.

Taking your own action

If we've investigated and can't establish that a nuisance exists you can take your own action to the local Magistrates' court under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.