Lockdown noise annoys
CITY AMONG WORST FOR COMPLAINTS IN REGION
COMPLAINTS about noisy neighbours have risen by more than a quarter during the Covid pandemic, when lockdowns forced people to stay at home.
Around 1,000 noise complaints a day were received by councils across the UK between 2020 and 2021, according to research by Churchill Home Insurance.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, 368,924 noise complaints were made – a 28% rise from the previous year.
disputes soared during the 2020 lockdowns – and Leicester was among the worst for neighbour complaints in the Midlands.
With 4,467 complaints per 100,000 residents, the city ranked high according to research by The Solar Centre.
At the other end of the scale, Oadby and Wigston had the fewest complaints in the entire UK.
Data collected using Freedom of Information Act requests revealed more that 1.3 million noise and nuisance complaints were logged in the past five years.
Across the Midlands, the number of complaints rose from 26,611 in 2019 to 31,549 last year.
Over the five years, councils across the Midlands received 160,729 nuisance and noise complaints, with the worst neighbours in the Midlands in Coventry, with 5,059 complaints per 100,000 people since 2016.
Behind Coventry, the areas with the highest volume of complaints were Leicester, with 4,467 and Kettering with 4,353.
A spokesman for The Solar Centre said: “Neighbour disputes can be a big problem for many people.
“Councils can install recording devices to determine if a noise should be deemed a nuisance.
“Noise recording devices are set up in the complainant’s house, without the accused person’s knowledge.
“In most cases, this either leads to further action or the noise complaint doesn’t constitute a nuisance.
“When this happens it’s usually because the noise isn’t loud or conNEIGHBOUR sistent enough, or the complainant turns out to be the main culprit.”
Citizens Advice recommends several steps to deal with a neighbour problem peacefully, without filing a complaint.
They include keeping records, getting help from a mediator or if people feel safe enough, talking to the neighbours.
Neighbour disputes can be a big problem for many people
Spokesman, The Solar Centre