Noisy neighbours are being warned to keep it down during an action week.

Bradford Council is supporting the national noise abatement campaign which began yesterday and is calling on people to be more considerate.

Almost 70 per cent of all noise complaints made to environmental health departments are about noisy neighbours.

Last financial year, Bradford Council received 2,345 complaints up 20 per cent on 2004. The causes were broken down as follows:

  • domestic noise 1,136
  • barking dogs 465
  • industrial and commercial noise 391
  • burglar alarms causing a nuisance 149
Councillor Anne Hawkesworth, the Council's executive member for the environment, said: "Noisy neighbours can cause distress and disturbance to everyone and affect people's quality of life.

"You might not realise that you are disturbing your neighbours. Too much noise at the wrong time causes friction between neighbours and people should make sure their burglar alarms are not faulty.

"No home is completely soundproof and we all make noise sometimes."

Complaints are first investigated by environmental health officers who try to resolve them informally by talking to both sides. A number of legal powers are then available, including serving abatement notices, removal of animals and seizing stereo equipment. Officers also have the power to make a forced entry into houses and cars to silence alarms and to ask for anti-social behaviour orders.

In the past year, officers have served 67 "stop" notices and made eight seizures of sound equipment in Bradford over noise.

If these do not work, noisy neighbours could face a fine of up to £5,000 for an individual or £20,000 for a business.

Seizing equipment is the last option when all requests to stop have been ignored and the noisemaker is still causing a disturbance to their neighbours.

Last summer, the Telegraph & Argus reported how the Council began a summer crackdown on nuisance noise.

The number of complaints soared as people who left windows open to keep cool were disturbed by music and televisions.

To report a noise complaint call (01274) 434366.

  • Calderdale Council was holding an information stall at Tesco in Brighouse today. Council staff are also giving a presentation to year six pupils at nine schools, including ones in Brighouse and Rastrick, to promote the benefits of being a considerate neighbour.
CASE STUDY 1: THE DJ

A DJ and his housemate were given a two year Anti-Social Behaviour Order after their late-night partying affected their neighbours' health.

Angus McDonald and John Glenn made the complainants' lives hell with their loud music which went on into the early hours at their home in Little Horton, Bradford.

Magistrates were told Bradford Council served a noise abatement notice in June last year, but the problems continued. The following month, the Council seized their stereo equipment before asking for the ASBO.

The complainant, who did not want to be named, said her young son was hospitalised over problems associated with lack of sleep. Her husband signed off sick because of it and she had to put her teacher-training course on hold.

CASE STUDY 2: THE CLUB

A nightclub at the centre of noise complaints was forced to close down earlier this year.

Bosses of the Il Travatore, in Ilkley, were taken to court over breaching noise abatement orders.

Alfredo Ciesla and Jose Mora had to pay more than £4,000 in costs and were conditionally discharged by magistrates last year.

The Council's environmental health department investigated neighbours' complaints of late-night revelling and anti-social behaviour. The orders to stop were slapped on the Leeds Road club in 2004.

Residents at nearby Tower Court told the court they lost sleep and were at the end of their tether.

When the club applied for a new licence last year the Council's panel reduced the opening hours from 3am to 2am.

Owners Mr Ciesla and Mr Mora said they were put out of business by red tape and licence restrictions.

SOUND ADVICE
  • Be aware of who your neighbours are. Are they elderly? Do they work shifts? Do they have young children?
  • Keep television and stereo volumes down, especially after 11pm.
  • Think about your neighbours if you are having a party ask guests to leave quietly and try to keep doors and windows shut.
  • Do not sound car horns, slam doors or rev engines late at night.
  • Don't leave dogs on their own for a long time, arrange for someone to visit and check on them regularly.