If you’re a fan of football at all you’ll know that the World Cup is fast approaching, taking place in the United States from Thursday 11 June – Sunday 19 July.
As we kick off our World Cup promotions and prepare to launch our competition to win a tablet, we're bringing you a refresh on noise nuisance: what it is, when to report it and how PA can support you if you’re dealing with it.
What is noise nuisance?
Noise nuisance is not the same as day-to-day living noise. It’s a category of antisocial behaviour (ASB) and the main difference in how we approach it is that we consider antisocial noise to be deliberate, persistent, or targeted and intended to cause alarm, distress, nuisance, or harassment.
Noise nuisance can include but is not limited to loud music, parties, multiple visitors frequenting a property, banging and persistent pet noise.
We do not consider the following noise complaints as ASB:
- Issues that arise due to differing lifestyles which are not intended to cause nuisance or annoyance
- Intermittent music
- Noise created by transference
- Noise created by movement, such as footsteps or door slamming
- One-off parties or celebrations
- Children playing, including ball games and babies crying
In the lead up to and during the World Cup, it is important to be aware that many of the most common causes for complaint (e.g. parties, noise from people watching football games at night and drinking) are infrequent and not intended to cause distress. Residents should be considerate that any celebrations don’t cause excessive noise, but we also encourage trying to maintain a level of tolerance for these situations as it is not something our ASB team will investigate.
More info on noise nuisanceHow and when should I report noise?
It can be annoying hearing loud noise from your neighbours during the World Cup, but we encourage keeping things friendly in the first instance. Your neighbour might not be aware they are causing a disturbance, so a quick chat with them could help. We’ve created some Dear Neighbour cards that you may find useful.
If you still feel you are being disturbed, we suggest you contact the local Environmental Health Officer, which is run by your local authority. Should the council take enforcement action, we will use this as evidence if appropriate.
If the noise has been going on for a while without improving, mediation could help. It’s an informal, confidential and independent service available to help neighbours sort out their differences and reach an agreement. They can help you and your neighbours understand each other’s point of view and reach a solution.
If you need support to deal with the ASB, you can phone the National Victim Support line on 0808 1689 111 or via their website.
You can also use The Noise App to record noise – it records multiple data points including audio, video and location. Once you upload the recording it will be sent to your local Neighbourhood Coordinator, who will determine whether the noise qualifies as ASB.
If you still feel like you need to report ASB to us, you can do so by telephone on 0300 123 2221 or by completing our online form.
How will PA support me if I am a victim of frequent noise nuisance?
If you are experiencing noise nuisance that exceeds the tolerable level during the World Cup, here’s some of what you can expect from us:
- We will make sure that it can be easily reported via a range of reporting methods
- Respond to complaints of ASB within 1-5 working days, depending on risk level
- Listen to you and the things that matter to you
- Deal with incidents sensitively
- Investigate complaints fairly and impartially
- Agree actions and help deliver a quick resolution
- Signpost you to other agencies and partners and work with them to find solutions
- Communicate with you proactively if timescales cannot be met
