NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

Helping ordinary people solve their everyday noise problems

not just for one week a year, but week after week; 52 weeks a year.

THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

Discuss any noise issue under a fixed rate scheme of £39 for a 30 minute confidential interview with an experienced Environmental Health Professional.

Scroll down for more case studies

Discuss any noise issue under a fixed rate scheme of £39 for a 30 minute confidential interview with an experienced Environmental Health Professional.

THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

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THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

The following case studies provide examples of some of the ways in which Noisedirect has been able to assist individuals with their noise problems. For reasons of data protection and client confidentiality, all personal and identifiable details have been omitted.

East of England

A young family had suffered from regular and unreasonable noise from amplified music late at night and in the early hours of the morning from a neighbouring property for several years. The family had tried complaining to the Council who refused to visit at the times when the music was being played late at night and simply asked the family to complete diary sheets. During a 30 minute Noisedirect telephone consultation we were able to advise the family of the legal obligation for the Council to visit and assess the noise nuisance and also how to take their own action to stop the nose under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

East of England

A noise sufferer living in close proximity to a supermarket was regularly subjected to loss of sleep due to early morning deliveries from 5am. The local Council told the sufferer that noise from the supermarket was 'unenforceable'(sic). We were able to advise the sufferer about the Council's duty to investigate complaints of noise nuisance, empowering the sufferer to start to resolve the problem after enduring 3 years of interrupted sleep.

East of England

An intruder alarm at a builders yard would frequently sound for several hours late at night and sometimes all weekend. Several residents complained to the local Council. Despite the Council writing to the owner of the yard asking him to ensure that the alarm did not cause a noise nuisance to the residents the problem continued. We were able to advise the residents about the Council's duty to investigate complaints of noise nuisance and take enforcement action. Empowered by the advice, the residents went back to the Council and were able to resolve the problem.

Ireland

A dilapidated garden shed was being used by a group of teenagers for regular guitar and drum practice. The noise would regularly prevent nieghbouring residents from sleep and using their homes for normal recreational activities. The parents of the teenager refused to to take any action and encouraged the teenagers friends to come to the shed and practice their instruments. We were able to advise the residents about the Council's duty to investigate complaints of noise nuisance and take enforcement action under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992 and how to take their own legal action. The residents asked us to write to the parents of the teenager; shortly after receiving the letter the noise stopped.

London

A resident of a Council owned flat was regularly subjected to noise from loud music, fighting and shouting from a neigbouring property. The resident had tried complaining to the Police, the local Housing Office and Environmental Health Department of her Council. The complaint was passed between the various Departments, all of who failed to accept responsibility for the problem. During a 30 minute Noisedirect consultation we were able to advise the noise sufferer of her rights under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 not to be disturbed by noise amounting to a statutory nuisance and the responsibility for the Council as her landlord to take action against nuisance tenants and their anti social behaviour.

London

A group of residents were subjected to weekly noise from power tools including drilling, sawing etc. The neighbour who was a DIY enthusiast refused to accept that the noise was unreasonable. Neighbouring residents would be woken from sleep as early as 5am by the DIY noise. The local Council refused to take any action or visit to assess the noise. We were able to advise the residents in a Noisedirect conference consultation about their right not to be subjected to noise nuisance and also how to take their own action under Section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

London

A group of students were holding regular late night parties at their inner city rented home resulting in complaints from neighbours adjacent and opposite. During a 30 minute Noisedirect consultation we were able to advise the noise sufferers of their rights under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 not to be disturbed by noise amounting to a statutory nuisance. We contacted the owner of the property on behalf of the noise sufferers. Shortly after our intervention the landlord issued the tenants with a final warning, reassuring the sufferers that any further breaches of the tenancy conditions would result in possession proceedings against the tenants.

London

A restaurant installed a number of refrigeration units on the roof of its premises without a prior application for planning permission. We were able to advise the individual in the flat directly opposite of the duty for the Council to take enforcement action for breach of planning regulations and statutory nuisance. The restaurant owner was required to submit a retrospective planning application and provide a noise report; which clearly showed that the units were unsuitable, likely to be detrimental to the amenity of residents and give rise to a statutory nuisance.

Midlands

We were approached by the neighbour of a classical musician who regularly practiced the violin for up to 5 hours every day. All informal attempts to reason with the musician by the sufferer were dismissed. During a 30 minute Noisedirect telephone consultation we were able to advise the sufferer of the legal obligation for the Council to visit and assess the noise nuisance and also how to take his own action. The sufferer asked us to intervene and we wrote to the musician on his behalf who agreed to reduce the hours of practice.

Midlands

A planning application for a skate and bike park in a Council owned park, near an area of woodland was submitted by the local Council. Residents living in the vicinity of the site were concerned that a noise impact report had not been provided and that the floodlit site would lead to problems of noise nuisance and antisocial behaviour. We were able to advise residents and review the planning application on their behalf.

North East

A group of residents had for 2 years tried unsuccessfully to resolve a problem of noise from a factory. During this period the Council did not make a single visit to the home of the noise sufferers and insisted nothing could be done. During a 30 minute Noisedirect telephone consultation we were able to advise the sufferer of the legal obligation for the Council to visit and assess the noise nuisance. The sufferers returned to the Council and insisted they visit and assess the noise. With the threat of an abatement notice the factory owners agreed to implement a program of works to prevent excessive noise to nearby residents.

North West

Shortly after moving into their new home a young family began to be disturbed by regular loud music from their neighbour. Despite reasoning with the neighbour the unreasonable noise from the music continued often late at night and even on Christmas Day. The family complained to the Council who, despite initially serving an abatement notice under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990; later withdrew the notice. We were able to assist the family with help and advice through Noisedirect consultation sessions and casework, resulting in the Council serving the neighbour with another abatement notice. At the subsequent appeal the Magistrates Court upheld the notice and ordered the neighbour to pay £12,000 costs. We were also able to assist the family with a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman who awarded the family £500 compensation.

Scotland

An owner occupier of a city centre flat was regularly kept awake by noise from amplified music from the Bar below. The Bar owner failed to respond to repeated requests from the noise sufferer to keep music levels at reasonable levels. During a 30 minute Noisedirect telephone consultation we were able to advise the sufferer of the duty imposed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for the Council to investigate the noise nuisance from the Bar and also advise the sufferer about action that he could take for breaches of the premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003.

Scotland

A retrospective planning application for a stone crusher to operate within woodland in close proximity to two sites of special scientific interest was submitted. We carried out a review of the application and were able to show that the applicant's noise report failed to consider that the activities were likely to result in a statutory noise nuisance to nearby residents. And that the applicant had failed to properly consider the impact to amenity for recreational users of the woodland park, protected species and surrounding environmental impacts. Permission for the application was refused.

South East

A group of elderly residents live in sheltered accommodation in close proximity to a Pub were regularly subjected to noise from late night entertainment events and amplified music. The Pub was regularly breaching its licensing conditions. The residents had all separately and jointly complained to the the local Council's Environmental Health Department, who had visited on several occasions and witnessed the noise nuisance from the premises. Despite this the Council refused to serve an abatement notice. We were able to advise the residents in a Noisedirect conference call of the duty imposed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for the Council to serve an abatement notice if a statutory nuisance is found to exist. We were also able to advise the residents about their right to complain to the Local Government Ombudsman. With the threat of an investigation of maladministration by the Ombudsman, the Council finally served an abatement notice on the owner of the Pub.

South East

A city centre Bar below a block of flats regularly kept occupants awake at night. The Bar routinely flouted licensing conditions requiring that no music should be audible in neighbouring residential properties. During a 30 minute Noisedirect telephone conference we were able give residents advice on the duty for the Council to take action for the statutory noise nuisance from the Bar and enforce licensing conditions. Within a month the Council served the Bar with an abatement notice under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

South East

A planning application for an all weather sports pitch at a local school, backing onto residential properties was submitted to the Council. One of the occupants of the residential properties had already complained to the Council about noise from extra curricular activities at the school including motor cycle training at weekends. We were able to carry out a noise nuisance investigation and provide an expert report which enabled the noise sufferer to ensure that the application for the all weather pitch was refused.

South West

A publican next to a number of residential properties decided to start holding regular live entertainment events. Residents complained to the Council who spoke to the publican but refused to visit and assess the impact of the noise first hand. Our professionals carried out a noise nuisance assessment at one of the properties affected and confirmed that the level, duration and frequency of the noise was sufficient to constitute a statutory nuisance.

Wales

The Owners of a Pub erected a children's playfort in the Pub grounds without seeking planning permission. The noise from users of the playfort was resulting in a noise nuisance and impacting on the auditory and visual amenity of neighbouring properties. We carried out a review of the retrospective planing application and provided the residents affected with an expert report listing detailing objections to the the unauthorised development. The Council rejected the retrospective planning application and wrote to the Owners of the Pub advising them to dismantle the unauthorised structure.

Wales

A problem of noise nuisance from three barking dogs had escalated into a case of harassment. We were able to advise the noise sufferers of their legal rights under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and write to the dog owners asking them to control their dogs and show consideration to their neighbours. Both parties agreed to mediation to resolve the problem.

West Midlands

A planning application from a Gun Club to extend shooting hours caused consternation in a semi rural area where residents were already being subjected to excessive and unreasonable levels of noise from shooting events at the Club. We were able to advise the residents on their rights to raise material objections to the application. We carried out a review of the Gun Club's acoustic report and provided the residents with an expert report objecting to the application on the grounds of statutory nuisance and loss of amenity. The Gun Club subsequently withdrew the planning application.

Yorkshire & Humber

A Council owned leisure centre erected a skate park in close proximity to the home of several residents without carrying out a proper consultation or assessing the likely impact of the noise from the skate park. We were able to advise residents about the duty for the Council to protect the auditory amenity of nearby residential dwellings and assist residents with a formal complaint of maladministration to the the Local Government Ombudsman. The Council accepted that the skate park development had impacted on the value of our Clients home and agreed a reduction in the Council tax band for the property.

Yorkshire & Humber

A group of leaseholders and tenants from a block of flats had complained to the Managing Agent and Freeholder about noise from the door closer to the main door to the block. The Managing Agent refused to acknowledge the concerns of the occupants. We wrote to the Freeholder and Managing Agent reminding them of their legal obligations under the Housing Act 2004 resulting in the overly powerful door closer being replaced.

More case studies coming soon ......

Research carried out in 2007 by EPUK (formerly the NSCA) shows that around a million people moved home because of noisy neighbours. In the current economic climate not everyone can afford to move. Don't suffer in silence call Noisedirect for practical , sensible advice to help you solve your noise problem.

THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

Discuss any noise issue under a fixed rate scheme of £39 for a 30 minute confidential interview with an experienced Environmental Health Professional.

Scroll down for more case studies

THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE

Speak to our experienced professionals for simple, practical advice and technical solutions for all your noise problems.

Discuss any noise issue under a fixed rate scheme of £39 for a 30 minute confidential interview with an experienced Environmental Health Professional.

Scroll down for more case studies

Discuss any noise issue under a fixed rate scheme of £39 for a 30 minute confidential interview with an experienced Environmental Health Professional.

THE NATIONAL NOISE ADVICE LINE