If somebody complains about noise you are making, do not take the complaint personally. The person making the complaint is making you aware that something you are doing is having an adverse affect on them.
Various noises outside your property can cause annoyance to your neighbours. The list below gives some of the main causes of problems and makes some suggestions for reducing the noise.
Gardening
When gardening consider using power tools and mowing the lawn at a reasonable time of day, not early in the morning or late at night.
Barking dogs
A barking dog can be a nuisance for a number of different reasons. It can wake people if it occurs early in the morning or late at night. It can also cause distress if it occurs persistently. If you are out when your dog/s bark you may be unaware of how much noise they make. People often contact us about barking when they are concerned about the welfare of the dog.
There are several easy solutions to dog barking problems. However the first step is to identify what your dog is barking for. It may be guarding it’s territory, it may be barking to be let in or because it’s bored or needs attention and it may bark because it’s scared or doesn’t want to be left alone.
Once you have identified the reason for your dog barking you can then take action to prevent unnecessary or prolonged barking.
For example, if you realise that your dog barks when it wishes to be let in you can reduce the amount of barking that takes place by responding quickly and letting the dog back inside the house.
Alternatively, if you identify that your dog is barking because it is guarding your home and that it barks mostly when children are travelling to and from school you can avoid letting it out during those hours, or leave it in a room where it is unable to see passers-by. For more information and advice on how to identify what is making your dog bark and what can be done to prevent it follow the links at the side of this page.
Security alarms
Although these have obviously been installed to protect your property they can cause annoyance if they continue to sound. All alarms should have an automatic cut out after 20 minutes. If an alarm is sounding regularly or does not cut out, it may have developed a fault. The householder or premises occupier is responsible for ensuring that an alarm is maintained in good working order. If an alarm is causing nuisance and the owner cannot be located, it can be disconnected at source by Environmental Health. The expense of doing this will be charged to the owner.
In order to prevent this occurring you can complete and return an Alarm Keyholder Details Form to register the name(s) of emergency key holders for your alarm. The form can be downloaded from this page or can be obtained by contacting Environmental Health Services.
Fireworks
The use of fireworks is prohibited between the following hours 11pm-7am for the majority of the year. The only exemptions are
- Chinese New Year until 1am
- Diwali until 1am
- New Year’s Eve until 1am
- November 5th until 12 midnight
Use of fireworks outside these hours will result in a fine of up to £5000 or 6 months in prison. The curfew is enforced by the police.
- Give notice of your display to your neighbours, especially if they are elderly or have children or pets.
- Try to avoid really noisy fireworks.
- Let the fireworks off in an open garden area.
- If a neighbour complains that you are disturbing them, or their pets or livestock, be considerate.
Motorcycles
Trials bikes, mini motorcycles, quad bikes and petrol driven scooters are increasingly popular however, the use of these bikes can generate complaints from local residents. The attached leaflet provides some information about responsible riding for motorcycle riders.