Community protection Noise FAQs
I'm being disturbed by noise from a licensed premises, eg a pub or club. What can I do?
Premises used for public entertainment, such as a pub or club, may require a licence from the council. If you're being disturbed by noise from a licensed premises you can report it to us. You'll have to provide your name and address and as much information as you can about the noise, eg the type and time. You may also be asked to complete diary sheets to record the type of noise and how often it's happening.
How do I deal with noise from aircraft?
We're not the enforcing authority for complaints regarding aircraft noise.
For more information or to make a complaint about domestic aircraft noise, please contact the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on their website, or call 020 7379 7311.
If you wish to make a complaint, or speak to somebody regarding noise from RAF aircraft, please contact the RAF on either 01939 250351 (and ask for extension 7572) for day flying or 01939 250351 (and ask for extension 7232) for night flying. Alternatively visit RAF Shawbury’s website for more information.
What can I do about a burglar alarm constantly going off in my street?
All alarms should be fitted with a 20 minute cut-out device. If the alarm sounds for longer than this it may be faulty.
If an alarm has been sounding for some time, say overnight, and there's no one present to shut off the device, you can contact us. We may attend the area to witness the alarm sounding and will attempt to contact the person responsible for the alarm.
If the noise is deemed to be a statutory nuisance, a notice will be served on the person responsible for the alarm. We may then apply to the magistrates court to obtain a warrant to gain entry into the property in order to disable the alarm. The property will be left properly secured. Any costs incurred (ie locksmith charges etc) will be recharged to the owner or occupier.
What can I do about a car alarm constantly going off?
Car alarms should cut out after five minutes. If an alarm has been sounding for a lot longer than this and there's no one present you can approach to request that the device is shut off, you can contact us. We'll need to know the make, model, colour and location of the vehicle, and its registration number.
My neighbour disturbs me with noise from their property - what can I do?
In many cases the person making the noise is unaware they're causing a problem, and the issue can be resolved quite simply. Where possible we ask you to attempt to resolve the problem yourself by talking to your neighbour before contacting us - take a look at our information on domestic noise, which explains the options open to you.
What can I do about noise in the street?
If this is caused by people or children shouting or playing, it may be antisocial behaviour - see our advice on reporting antisocial behaviour.
We can deal with certain noise in the street, such as noise from machinery and equipment, but not noise from moving traffic. Take a look at our information on domestic noise, which explains the options open to you.
Can I involve the police if I have noisy neighbours?
No – unless there is violence or threatening behaviour. We often work with the police to deal with neighbourhood issues, and if a noise is causing you to be concerned about the safety of someone in a property, you should alert West Mercia Police.
Within which hours can building work take place?
Normally we ask for large scale building work which is likely to be noisy to be restricted to 7:30am - 6pm Monday to Friday, and 8am - 1pm on a Saturday, with no noisy building work taking place on Sundays or bank holidays.
My road's being dug up, making noise early in the morning. When is work like this allowed?
There are no set times before which work such as this is prohibited unless it's already been covered by a formal notice imposed by us. Utility companies often agree times of work with us beforehand (especially if they're working overnight) but smaller contractors sometimes don’t. If you can identify who the contractor is, we may be able to request that they work with us to protect residents' amenity, and we hope that this will lead to the time of future works being agreed.
Contractors have no legal obligation to contact us regarding likely noise before starting work. Noise in the street from vehicles, machinery or equipment (but not moving traffic) may constitute a statutory nuisance. If you're able to, please speak to the builder or the person who owns the property being worked on first about the issue before contacting us.
What can be done about repair work taking place on a railway line?
For safety reasons work can often only be carried out when the power is turned off, which happens for a few hours during the night. If you're able to, please speak to the contractor first about the issue before contacting us.