What you can do if you are suffering a noise problem?
Often a direct, informal approach to the person responsible for the noise is all that is needed to solve the problem. It is not unusual for them to be unaware that they are disturbing other people. However, it may be unwise to make your complaint in the heat of the moment when you are tired, frustrated or angry, the situation could get out of hand. It is better to wait until later when the matter can be discussed calmly.
Many other factors determine whether or not a noise is a statutory nuisance:
The time of day
The location e.g. urban/rural
The duration of the noise
The volume of the noise
The character of the noise
The frequency of the noise
Can the Council help?
The Council may be able to help if the noise is caused by one of the following:
Noise from Dog Barking
Other Noise Complaints
i) Your name, address and contact telephone number
Despite it being natural for a dog to bark constant whining or barking can be disturbing or annoying to neighbours. Often owners are unaware of the potential problem as the barking may be within working hours or when the owner is away from the premises.
If you register a complaint, you will be asked to keep noise complaint record forms over a period of days or weeks, and provide a description of what you hear, for how long, at what time of day and how it affects you in your home. We will then use this information to determine if there is a pattern to the problem and then seek to find the cause and resolve the issue with the owner(s) of the dog(s). Investigating officers will in most cases want to witness the dog barking for themselves.
If the barking is found to be giving rise to a statutory nuisance then an Abatement Notice requiring the person responsible to take remedial action may be served. The Abatement Notice will allow time for remedial action to be taken, and in many cases will require the reduction of the dog barking and not completed cessation of all dog barking
Environmental Health Officers investigate noise complaints in accordance with the Pollution Control & Local Government (NI) Order 1978. Formal action can only be taken if the noise constitutes a statutory nuisance. If the noise you complain of is a one off or occasional event, it is not likely to be a statutory nuisance and therefore the Council is unlikely to be able to use formal action to resolve the matter.
If the noise nuisance persists and your informal request has failed to resolve the matter you can take your complaint to Craigavon Borough Council's Environmental Protection Team. Complaints can be made in writing, by telephone or by personal visit. The following information will be required so that the matter can be investigated.
ii) The address of the source of the problem and (if known) the name of the person causing the noise
iii) Details concerning the type of noise, the pattern and history of the problem.
The investigation of a noise nuisance takes place in four stages
Making a Complaint
What will the Council do?
Initially complaints are logged and passed to an Environmental Protection Team Officer who may contact you for further information. The subject of the complaint will be contacted and advised of the complaint (your name and address will not be disclosed at this time). Appropriate advice will be given and an attempt made to resolve the matter informally. In many cases this will be sufficient.
For further information on the four stages and for additional sources of information, please follow this link :-
4 stages to making a complaint
Noise Control
