Noise complaints statistics revealed

LAST year, Charnwood residents complained about barking dogs more than 100 times, loud music 143 times and the sound of shooting on three occasions.

Yet new research found Charnwood borough to be one of the quietist districts in the East Midlands.

Noise specialists at Cirrus Research have created a ‘Noise Nuisance Chart’ which ranks 39 local authorities in the East Midlands based on the approximate number of complaints received per 1,000 residents last year.

Bolsover topped the noisy neighbour poll with roughly 11 complaints per 1,000 residents and the chart shows Nottingham City Council received the least complaints in 2016 - averaging 1.9 complaints per 1,000 people.

Charnwood Borough Council ranked eight places above the city council, having received approximately 2.9 complaints per every 1,000 residents.

The borough council received a total of 520 complaints last year - and now the Echo can reveal what sound sources rattled residents the most.

Following an information request placed to Charnwood Borough Council, the Echo found in 2016:

• 143 complaints were made regarding music

• 105 complaints related to barking dogs

• 68 complaints were made about other people

• 14 complaints were about party sounds

• And 13 complaints of DIY noise were filed.

Three complaints relating to ‘shooting’ were also received and four complaints with the source listed as ‘unidentified’ were made.

All complaints made to the council are logged and investigated and monitoring visits are carried out.

The council has sound monitoring equipment which can be used to progress investigations.

Since 2013 the council has received more than 2,100 complaints about noise.

A spokesperson told the Echo quite often noise issues can be resolved simply by having a conversation with someone but in more serious cases an abatement notice or community protection notice (CPN) may be issued, ordering the person to stop the activity causing the noise or risk a fine or prosecution.

Last year the council issued seven warnings and served four notices to noisy neighbours.

And one council tenant was prosecuted by the authority in May 2016 for causing a nuisance by playing loud music.

The resident admitted two charges of breaching a noise abatement notice and was ordered to pay £100 compensation to a neighbour, £150 in prosecution costs, a victim surcharge of £20 and they were fined £150.

A Charnwood Borough Council spokesman told the Echo: “Tackling noise from individuals, groups, domestic, industrial, commercial and/or business premises is one of the main responsibilities for the environmental protection team at Charnwood.

“We’re pleased to be in the lowest banding in this noise nuisance chart but what really matters is that people have the confidence to report issues to us.

“More information about dealing with noise nuisance is on our website: www.charnwood.gov.uk/ noisenuisance.”