Noise Control

• How to report a noise problem
• Service guidelines
• What is statutory nuisance?

How to report a Noise problem

Our reactive Noise Response Service is available only from Thursday to Sunday, 6pm-2am.

If you are currently experiencing excessive and persistent noise from a residential or commercial premises, that is it significantly interfering with the normal use and enjoyment of your home, then please contact us:

 Option 1 - the noise is happening now

• Is the noise happening now?
• Is it between Thursday to Sunday, 6pm-2am?

If the answer to both of these question is yes, then please click the button below:

Report a noise problem happening now

Your complaint will be logged and a unique reference supplied.

Alternatively you can call our out of hours service on 020 8489 0000 who will register your complaint.

Your information will be passed on to the duty officers who will call you back with a view to visiting you so they can subjectively assess the noise from within your home. The officers will try to call you back as soon as they can.

At times of high demand, we cannot guarantee we are able to visit you if you called us during the last hour of the service.

Please note: the council no longer provides a seven day reactive noise response service.

Option 2 - the noise is NOT happening now

• The noise not happening now
• Is this an ongoing issue in line with our service guidelines?
• Does it mainly occur outside our reactive hours? (see above for details)

If your answer to all of the above is yes then please click on the button below:

Report ongoing noise/nuisance not happening now

Your complaint will be logged and a unique reference number supplied. Alternatively you can contact our Customer Service Helpdesk on 020 8489 1335 during our normal office hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, who will register your complaint.

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Service Guidelines

The following guidelines are used to prioritise ongoing noise/nuisance issues which occur outside our operational hours. All calls will be logged, but only complaints that meet the guidelines below will be passed to the Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) enforcement officer for further investigation.

• Where three or more reports of noise/nuisance are received in one rolling month about a residential or commercial premises
• Where two or more separate reports of noise are received within one rolling month about a licensed premises
• Complaints of noisy construction works being undertaken outside permitted hours

If your complaint meets the above criteria, we will aim to respond to you within seven working days - please allow this time before contacting us again about the matter. We treat all noise/nuisance complaints in the strictest confidence and will never disclose your details without your consent. Unfortunately we are unable to investigate anonymous complaints.

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What is Statutory Nuisance?

For us to take enforcement action against a noise issue, the noise must amount to a statutory nuisance. A statutory nuisance is not simply something that annoys you. It is something that is unreasonable and causes substantial interference in the normal use and enjoyment of your property.

We take reasonable steps to investigate allegations of statutory nuisance. Officers have to make a professional judgement based on what the average reasonable person would find acceptable. In doing so, officers cannot take into consideration the wellbeing or sensitivity of the complainant.

Noise issues and nuisances that we can deal with

We can help if you're being disturbed by the following:

• Loud music/television
• Mechanical plant equipment (AC units/extractors/generators)
• DIY work at unreasonable times
• Construction noise outside permitted hours
• Constant dog barking or other noisy domestic animals
• Burglar/car alarms sounding continuously
• Dust and odours from commercial properties
• Smoke from bonfires
• Light nuisance
• Street performers

Noise issues that we can't deal with

Noise generated from everyday normal domestic use of a premises and the lack of sound insulation cannot constitute a nuisance in law. We are therefore unable to take enforcement action against the following types of noise (this list is not exhaustive):

• Children playing
• Footfalls/general movement
• Shouting, raised voices, arguments, laughing
• People talking in gardens
• Slamming of doors
• Moving of furniture
• Intermittent banging etc.
• Aircraft and railway noise

What action can be taken?

If something is assessed as a nuisance, we can:

• Try to abate the nuisance
• Take enforcement action by serving a legal notice
• Issue a Fixed Penalty Notice
• Prosecute if the notice is breached
• Seize equipment if the notice is breached (usually for ongoing complaints)
• You can also take your own private action under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990

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