Neighbour disputes—noise and nuisance

Noise is a category of Statutory nuisance. This may arise under the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993, the Noise Act 1996 (NA 1996) or the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA 1990). This Practice Notice covers domestic noise, commercial noise, night-time noise, anti-social behaviour, statutory nuisance, noise created by building works that are within the terms of a planning permission, what action to take if there is a complaint, action that the local authority or a landlord can take and civil proceedings for statutory nuisance and private nuisance and remedies for noise nuisance including injunctive relief.

Noise is one of the categories of statutory nuisance. Noise nuisance covered by statute includes:

1. • noise in the street from vehicles, equipment, machinery or loud-speakers, and faulty burglar alarms
2. • night-time noise from private dwellings, and
3. • noise pollution

The statutory regimes allow local authorities (LAs) to act for complainants, or for complainants to act directly, without involving the local authority.

For more information on nuisance generally, see Practice Notes: Private nuisance—general principles and Nuisance—what are public and private nuisance