Noisy neighbours: Complaints up 20 per cent after first lockdown started

Figures from the district council suggested that grievances about nextdoor and nearby noise went up by 20 per cent between March 2020 and March 2021.

The local authority says it's also recently handed down a criminal behaviour order to a persistent offender.

Writing in a report going before elected members next week, the council's deputy leader Jack Hemingway said there were 2,633 noise complaints made to the authority in 2020/21, compared to 2,187 the year before.

He also said the police had recorded a "considerable increase" in noise complaints over the same period.

Coun Hemingway wrote: "The Guardian newspaper recently reported a 67 per cent rise in noisy neighbours’ complaints affecting Police forces across the UK as Council’s struggled to deal with their workloads.

"While not as significant as 67 per cent, the council’s Environmental Health Community Protection team (dealing with noise and other nuisances) have nonetheless recorded an overall increase in requests for service."

The council's deputy leader said three staff members had been seconded to the Environmental Health service, in a bid to address the rising demand.

He added: "The team continue to develop their knowledge and talent to keep supporting our residents unlucky enough to be affected by noise, smoke, dust, light or smell pollution and have recently secured several prosecutions, including a Criminal Behaviour Order for a repeat noise offender."

Local Democracy Reporting Service