Information on noise nuisance

Noise disturbance is defined as unwanted sound. Something that is a disturbance to one person may not be to another. There are many causes of noise disturbance and many controls - although not every noise disturbance has a remedy in law.

For something to be a statutory nuisance it must be considered to be unreasonable to the 'average person' and something that is more than just an annoyance. A sound being audible in your home does not automatically make it a statutory nuisance and it should not be assumed that it can be resolved by Council intervention. A noise that occurs very occasionally or is of short duration is unlikely to be a statutory nuisance. 

For general information and advice on statutory nuisance please visit our statutory nuisance homepage. The page provides background information on what the requirements are for something to be a statutory nuisance, information on how we investigate and what information and commitment we would require from our complainants.

When the council assess your nuisance complaint we would have regard to:

• the time the noise happens (noise may be a nuisance at any time of day or night)
• the duration of the noise
• the frequency of the noise (both the tone/pitch and how often it occurs)
• the type of noise;
• whether there is social acceptance or value; for example, bonfire night

As such the following kinds of noise are unlikely to be considered a statutory nuisance:

• a one-off party
• neighbours arguing
• a lawnmower used during the daytime
• a baby crying or dogs barking occasionally
• slamming doors
• household appliances
• typical noise from children
• hard floor noise

In addition the Council has no legal powers to control the following kinds of noise and as such we are unable to investigate complaints encompassing the below:

• road traffic on the public highway
• people shouting/laughing or screaming on a public road or footpath
• air traffic noise
• railway noise (in most circumstances as Section 122 of the Railways Act 1993, prohibits nuisance actions in relations to operational noise against railway operators)