Anti-social behaviour sparks 120 complaints every day
Noisy neighbours and excessive rubbish provoke flood of calls to Scottish councils
NEARLY 120 calls a day are being made about anti-social behaviour amid a rise in the number of incidents recorded across Scotland.
The figures have been described as “a worrying indictment of modern society”, with dedicated council teams now tackling issues including all-night parties, rubbish and large groups of visitors renting holiday flats in tourist hotspots such as Edinburgh.
Analysis from Churchill Home Insurance has revealed 43,222 statutory nuisance complaints were made to Scottish councils between August 2016 and July 2017.
More than half (51 per cent) of all complains were about noise, followed by light (18%), plants (12%), rubbish (6%) and air pollution (5%).
Despite the high number regarding noise, only 130 led to abatement notices being issued – down 21% on the previous year.
Martin Scott, head of Churchill Home Insurance, said: “It is a worrying indictment of modern society that so many people are failing to take responsibility for their communities, keeping noise and other disturbances to a minimum.
“Living next to a poorly maintained property, or loud and disruptive neighbours, can not only be a harrowing ordeal but could also affect the long-term value of your home if you were to look to sell.
“Council enforcement of environmental regulations is crucial to ensure the actions of inconsiderate individuals don’t blight the lives of others.
“Living next to a noisy neighbour can be extremely debilitating and have a serious impact on the mental wellbeing of the victim.”
Churchill’s complaint figures for 2016-17 mark an eight per cent reduction on 2015-16, when 46,906 calls were made to local authorities.
However, the Police Scotland Management Information statistics in May show an overall rise of three per cent in anti-social behaviour incidents between last year and the year before.
Aberdeen had the highest increase at 41%. Glasgow saw a 2% rise, while in Edinburgh there was a jump of 4%.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said it had a dedicated out-of-hours team that deals with cases occurring in the evening or during the night.
Community Safety Glasgow also has a community relations unit, which aims to resolve anti-social behaviour through support measures and early intervention.
The spokesman said: “We have out-of-hours teams available to investigate noise complaints and a dedicated Community Relations Unit that aims to resolve antisocial behaviour and disputes.”
Councillor Amy Mcneese-mechan, Edinburgh City Council’s culture and communities vice convener, said: “We encourage residents who are experiencing noise from a neighbour to contact Police Force Control Centre any time of the day, seven days a week.
“This service is run in partnership with Police Scotland and ourselves.
“The Community Safety Night Team work in partnership with family and household support services based within the four localities, providing support and enforcement around noise and general anti-social behaviour nuisance.”