Neighbours at war ... 1,250 times

Council intervenes hundreds of times in 4 years

20.07.2017 Rowing neighbours have been referred for counselling 1,250 times in just four years, figures reveal.

Renfrewshire Council says warring families have been hauled in for mediation over a range of spats, including loud music and harassment.

Despite intervention, local authority chiefs admit only 35 cases were resolved after talking it through.

A report to the region’s Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board insists most incidents are diffused without the need for outside help.

It said: “The aim of mediation is to facilitate the resolution of disagreements between neighbours.

“The service is available to all residents of Renfrewshire, regardless of tenure and deals with a range of problems, including neighbour noise, loud music and low-level harassment.

“Referrals are used as part of daily arrangements to ensure early intervention before anti-social behaviour escalates further.

“This proactive approach has resulted in the number of cases progressing to full mediation sessions remaining at a low level and steadily decreasing year-onyear.”

Council chiefs point to a steady decline in referrals made as proof early intervention works.

There were 407 reports to the community safety team four years ago.

This dropped to 311, then 274 in successive years.

The number of referrals had fallen to 258 by the end of 2016-17 — a reduction of 36 per cent.

But, even with a steady stream of cases, council bosses concede only a fraction of were solved through mediation.

They also admit that the situation only improved after counselling in 142 episodes.

The council has vowed to stampout anti-social behaviour at home and in the streets.

Over the four years, investigators have probed nearly 2,000 incidents across Renfrewshire.

In 2013- 14, there were 595 referrals over problem conduct, but this halved to 291 by the end of last year.

The council has set up dedicated teams to track those causing trouble and says early involvement can stop issues from spiralling.

Neighbour mediation is supplemented by the Anti-social Investigations Team, which tackles problems on behalf of residents.

The Environmental Services crew provide back-up to help with litter, illegal dumping and noise complaints.

And wardens are deployed in streets to combat behavioural problems at the earliest stage.

The report added: “The success of the Renfrewshire Community Safety Partnership Hub daily meeting ensures early intervention to stop anti- social behaviour incidents from escalating and subsequently becoming referrals.”