Noise is the most common issue that’s reported to us. Although it can be a real nuisance, noise isn’t always classed as anti-social behaviour.

Where possible, we’ll always encourage residents to try and resolve issues between themselves. In some cases, your neighbour might not be aware that what they’re doing is causing a nuisance to you. It’s possible that the issues you’re experiencing can be resolved by speaking with your neighbour.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, our team is here to give help and advice.

How do we decide whether it’s appropriate for TCH to take any action?

We use our Anti-Social Behaviour policy as guidance. When we receive a noise complaint, we’ll assess whether we can take action based on several factors, including:

• If the noise appears to be being made deliberately
• The duration, frequency and intensity of the noise
• What time it occurs (is the noise happening late at night or very early in the morning, rather than mid-afternoon)
• If it is a one-off or continuing problem.

Help and advice available

If you feel that the noise you’re experiencing is excessive or occurring at unreasonable hours, and you’ve tried to speak to your neighbour, please contact us by emailing info@tch.org.uk or by calling 01892 501480 to discuss your concerns.

You can also contact your Local Council and their Noise Nuisance team. Their details can be found by visiting this website.

Our legal powers are different to those of other authorities, and so we often work closely with Local Councils if we need to take formal action.

Mediation service

We can also make referrals to a mediation service to help with resolving neighbour disputes, including noise nuisance. We have seen how valuable this can be as a tool to help rebuild relationships where communication has broken down.

Our work in action

David (not his real name) was experiencing noise nuisance from his neighbour who was listening to their TV loudly late at night. The noise was disturbing David, so he got in contact with our Community Safety Team (CST).

Members of the CST spoke with David’s neighbour, and they learned that he had a hearing issue and wasn’t aware of how loudly he had been listening to his TV. The CST provided David’s neighbour with a pair of headphones so that he could listen to his TV without disturbing his neighbours.

Got any questions?

Noise nuisance can take some time to resolve, and so it’s important that you continue to let us know if the issues don’t improve.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us via info@tch.org.uk or by calling 01892 501480.