Noise nuisance

Before you consider formally reporting a problem to the Council, we recommend you try to talk to the person responsible for causing the problem. They might not realise they're causing a problem and often, writing a little note or having a quick chat can resolve the problem much more quickly and in a more friendly and less confrontational way.

It’s worth being aware that when the Council gets involved, this can sometimes make things worse, as people don’t always take kindly to being complained about to the Council. It’s also important to note that a Council investigation can take several weeks, or even months, to complete and investigations can potentially end up in court where you may need to be a witness.

Further information on what steps you can follow to resolve a neighbour dispute can be found on GOV.UK.

If this doesn't sort out the problem, or you can't talk to the person, contact us as we might be able to help.

We can investigate noise from:

  • noisy neighbours, like loud music, shouting or DIY at night
  • burglar and car alarms
  • animals, like barking dogs or crowing cockerels
  • building sites
  • noisy equipment in a commercial property
  • pubs and clubs
  • deliveries or waste collections at a commercial property

We can not investigate:

  • If you don't know where the noise is coming from
  • everyday household noise, such as footsteps, doors closing, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, children playing, babies crying or talking
  • traffic, aircraft or railway noise
  • noise from outdoor sports
  • noise in the street, such as vehicles left running, car stereos, shouting or car horns

See our advice on preventing a noise nuisance.

Construction work is noisy. 

Generally, noisy construction operations should be restricted to the following hours:

  • Monday to Friday: 7.30am to 6pm
  • Saturday: 8am to 1pm
  • No noisy work on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

If you are a company planning to do construction work, it would be advisable to give notice to the Environmental Protection Team.

You should also inform all local residents of your plans.

In cases where the Council cannot establish sufficient evidence to stop a nuisance, you can take your own legal action‌ under the Environmetal Protection Act 1990.