Noise and Other Statutory Nuisances

There are a range of matters which can be dealt with as nuisances that affect a person’s health or interfere with the enjoyment of their property.

Most commonly these nuisances include:

Noise for example:

• Noisy neighbours (such as loud music, loud televisions, alarms, building or DIY work at unreasonable times of the day)
• Noise from commercial or industrial premises (such as entertainment, alarms, air conditioning, building or demolition work)
• Noise from car alarms
• Barking dogs
  
  

Other types of nuisances

• The poor condition of a premises, which is affecting a property next door
• Smoke such as from bonfires, fumes, gases, dust and odours from a property
• Animals that cause a nuisance
• Artificial light
• Build-up of refuse or dog fouling

Sound Advice on Noise from the Welsh Government

We cannot deal with:

• Aircraft noise (civil or military)
• Everyday domestic noises such as flushing toilets, children crying or people talking on the street

Resolve the issue yourself

If you experience a nuisance problem, try and discuss the matter with the person causing the problem. Usually it can be sorted quickly without the need for any further action. 

Making a complaint to the Council

If the complaint cannot be sorted out with your neighbour, you will need to help us gather evidence and record details of the nuisance.

There are a number of ways to gather evidence:

The Noise App

With our easy to use noise app, you can create a noise diary. Making sound recordings of the noise will help us with your complaint. The recordings can be easily shared with officers in the Environmental Protection Team. Providing sound recordings will help us decide if there is a noise nuisance. The noise app can be downloaded onto smart or Android phones and iPhones.

If you already have a noise complaint:

Nuisance log sheets

If you cannot use the noise app, or if you are reporting another type of problem, you should use log sheets to record details of the nuisance and how it affects you and your family.

Witness statement

The Council may prosecute the person creating the nuisance. You will be expected to provide a statement. Without this statement we may not be able to take the matter further.

Important information

Your evidence needs to be true to the best of your knowledge and belief.
If it is not, you could be liable to prosecution.

Human Rights

When you gather evidence it is important not to break human rights laws. When you complete your nuisance record, you should not include personal information in your sheet.

Loss of evidence

Please remember to keep a copy of your evidence - we cannot be responsible for the loss of any evidence you submit.

The evidence you record helps Council Officers to fully understand your complaint and allows us to judge whether it is likely to constitute a statutory nuisance. It also helps Council Officers to identify any patterns of when the nuisance is likely to occur, in case they need to visit.

The evidence may also form part of any case if the matter goes to Court, either through Council action or by taking your own legal action.  Without sufficient evidence, your case will not progress.

Anonymous Complaints

We do not usually investigate anonymous complaints because of how difficult this is.