Community Protection Taskforce

Before contacting us

• Think about talking to your neighbour first.
• People who cause a nuisance are often unaware of the effect that their activities are having on their neighbours.
• The best way to deal with the problem is to speak (or write a polite note) to the person responsible to make them aware that they are causing a problem.

I still want to report

Please have the following information available so we can respond as quickly as possible to your complaint: 

• your name and address (we are not able to deal with anonymous complaints)
• the address of where the problem is coming from - this is important
• the name of the person responsible if you know it
• the type of nuisance you are experiencing
• when and how often it occurs

Please ensure the above are answered when reporting online, otherwise your complaint may be closed off.

• Reporting anti-social behaviour.
• Reporting a noise incident.
• Report other issues. (such as fly-tipping and abandoned vehicles)
• Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) information

Opening hours

Please call 07976398426 to report noise or anti-social behaviour happening now. The hours this number will be in operation is:

• Fridays - 6pm to 2am
• Saturdays - 6pm to 2am
• Sundays - 3pm to 11pm

Outside of these hours please report using the anti-social behaviour form and a member of the team will be in touch. We aim to respond within seven days to all requests.

• Initially, the officer dealing with your case will telephone, visit or email you to discuss the situation and find out exactly what/who is causing you a problem.
• If we consider the person and/or activity to be unreasonable we will write to the person responsible to make them aware that their activities are causing a nuisance and ask them to stop. 
• Often people are not aware that they are causing a problem and we find that the initial warning letter stops it. Your case officer will keep you updated on the progress of your case.
• If problems continue, we will then look to try and witness the nuisance after issuing the warning letter. Once we witness it we will look to serve an abatement notice or a CPW/CPN

• On Fridays and Saturdays, our main priority is to attend to ongoing cases so we can obtain evidence for formal action or in the most severe cases, enforce legislation
• We can investigate noise as a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
• We will try to resolve the problem informally, but can serve an abatement notice, breach of which is a criminal offence carrying unlimited fines
• When determining nuisance factors such as time of day, frequency and duration of events are considered
• We normally require diary sheet evidence when considering formal action
• There is no decibel level above which noise is a nuisance, or time of day
• It is the impact on the normal enjoyment of residents’ homes that is assessed, either in person or with recording equipment

If the nuisance continues we have the following options:

• Prosecution of the person responsible for not complying with the notice.
• Seizure of noise-making equipment, under a magistrate's warrant in severe cases.
• In the case of burglar or car alarms the council may enter the premises or vehicle, under a magistrate's warrant where necessary, and silence the alarm.
• On conviction for not complying with the notice the council may request that the court make a forfeiture order permanently depriving the owner of any seized noise-making equipment.

Will I have to attend court?

• In most cases, yes. In order to bring a successful prosecution the evidence of the person affected by the nuisance is important.
• It will also provide you with the opportunity to explain how the nuisance affects you. Please bear this in mind when submitting a complaint as it will require your co-operation for formal action to be taken.

What if we can't take action? 

• We will take all reasonable steps to gather sufficient evidence to take your complaint further.
• In some cases we will not be able to establish that there is a legal nuisance.
• In cases where a private resident still wishes to take action they can consider the option of a private prosecution.