Report a noise problem

The Environmental Health, Community Protection Team Officers, including those that work on a night, all now work in a COVID-19 Secure way to ensure we protect you and our staff while progressing your jobs. Our Officers will explain how this will work when they contact you. Please help us we will ask questions of you and have new procedures, particularly indoors, to protect us both, when visits are made.

We are still monitoring all types of ongoing pollution jobs (noise, smoke, smells, light, dust) to progress complaints. To get onto the list for a visit please return your Nuisance Form to ep@wakefield.gov.uk and an Officer will contact you to discuss how we can help witness the problem you are affected by.

Most people can hear noise from their neighbours at some time, but when it is regular or excessive then it can become a real problem.  For a range of options to help deal with noisy neighbours take a look at our Your Neighbour, Your Choice leaflet.

If you have live music, DJ's, karaoke or similar entertainment the noise may affect neighbours. Our Simple Guide for Managing Entertainment Noise can help event organisers manage noise so it doesn't become a problem.

Construction activity generates more noise than is usual for an area. Detailed guidance on how to control noise from construction activity is provided in the approved Code of Practice: BS 5228 - Noise from Construction and Open Sites.

Building contractors can apply for a Prior Consent which sets out the agreed way in which construction activity will be carried out to minimise noise disturbance.

Environmental Health also recommend planning conditions for large construction sites close to residents, particularly when sites will be in use for an extended time, the main noise control is an hours restriction: 7:30am-6pm Monday to Friday and 8:30am-2pm Saturday.

Here are some simple things you can help to prevent causing a noise problem:

• Keep noise down late at night when neighbours are trying to sleep.
• Let neighbours know if you're having a party, building work or other unusual activity – if people know what's happening and when it's due to end they are usually more accepting of it.
• Try and understand why your dog might be barking, there will be a reason why and something you can do – see our leaflet for more information.
• Complete our Alarm Keyholder Registration Form so we know who to contact if your alarm goes off accidentally.
  

We aim to provide the most suitable response for each noise complaint we receive. If this is the first complaint you have made we will ask you for more information on a simple form. When you return your completed form to ep@wakefield.gov.uk an Officer will contact you to discuss if we can help you. Officers may then send an advisory letter or visit the person causing you the problem and this is often all that is required. If this doesn't work then our Officers will investigate and gather evidence to take formal statutory nuisance action if necessary.

We have a range of powers available to deal with noisy neighbours, including:

• Serving a Legal Notice
• Seizing equipment used to cause noise nuisance
• Disconnecting sounding alarms
• Prosecuting people who continue to cause noise nuisance