Noise nuisance

More than a third of requests for nuisance help that we receive are about noise.

The council can take action on excess levels of noise considered to be a statutory noise nuisance.

Most noise complaints can be dealt with by contacting the environmental health department between 9am and 5pm during the working day.

Our services are open during the following hours:

Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Call: 020 7364 5007

Friday to Monday 8pm to 3:30am (continuous)
Call: 020 7364 7070

Sunday to Thursday 8pm to 3:30am
Call: 020 7364 7070

For more information on dealing with a particular type of nuisance use the links below:

• What we do
• Residential
• Car alarms
• Audible intruder alarms
• Construction activities
• Noise in the street
• Out of hours service
• Public entertainment licensing

What we do

We can help with most problems, complaints or enquiries concerning residential and commercial noise from premises.

We can help with the following noise:

• DIY, amplified music, musical instruments, domestic appliances, leisure activities, hobbies, parties
• Car alarms (including breaking into vehicles to disarm the alarm)
• Burglar alarms (including entering buildings to switch off the alarm)
• Construction (including serving notices and taking action through the courts)
• Street noise, for example:
• Stationary vehicles with engines running
• Refrigerator units
• Car repairs
• Audio systems in stationary vehicles.

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Residential

Noise from residential premises may be:

• DIY
• Amplified music (not from parties)
• Musical instruments
• Domestic appliances
• Leisure activities / hobbies

Or parties

In case of parties, an out of hours patrol officer will attempt, where it is safe to so, to visit the premises complained of and speak to the person responsible for the party.

If they believe the party is a noise nuisance, and is likely to continue being, so then they should serve an Abatement Notice.

If the party is not a nuisance they will give advice on ways of reducing the noise e.g. shutting windows, turning down the bass volume.

If the noise nuisance does not stop within the compliance time specified on the notice then it will be forwarded to the legal section for prosecution. They may also consider the option of seizure where the nuisance is severe.

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Car alarms

The service is empowered to break into vehicles to disarm defective alarms and also to remove the vehicles to a safe place where necessary. The costs involved will be recovered from the owner of the vehicle. The owners details are obtained from DVLA.

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Audible intruder alarms (AIA)

The Service is empowered to obtain a warrant to enter premises and deactivate AIA's that are causing 'annoyance' to persons living or working nearby.

The warrant may authorise entry to such other persons and equipment as is necessary to de-activate the alarm. Entry to premises should only take place in the company of a police constable, and shall cause minimal damage and disturbance. If reasonably practicable the alarm will be reset, and the premises will also be effectively secured as is reasonably practicable.

The warrant will only be obtained when the AIA has operated for more than one hour after it was activated; the officer has unsuccessfully tried to contact nominated keyholders and it is causing annoyance to persons living or working nearby.

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Construction activities

This guidance note does not cover noise from DIY.

Noise nuisance from construction works are controlled by 3 main sections:

• Section 60 Control of Pollution Act 1974
• Section 61 Control of Pollution Act 1974
• Section 80 Environmental Protection Act 1990

Section 61 Control of Pollution Act 1974 allows a contractor or promoter to approach the Local Authority to gain consent to carry out construction works. The Local Authority has the power to amend or condition any consent.

Section 60 Control of Pollution Act 1974 is essentially the same as the Section 61 except that in the case of Section 60, no approach is made by the contractor and the conditions are imposed by the Local Authority.

It will be necessary before taking action against any contractor to ensure that the contractor is not exempted from control because of Crown Immunity or Statutory Undertaking.

The Local Authority has an agreed policy on construction sites which is available at the environmental protection office. The policy precludes, except in exceptional circumstances, works of construction being carried out between 18.00 to 08.00 Monday to Friday, from 13.00 on Saturdays and any works on Sundays, Bank or Public holidays.

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Noise in the street

This covers noise emitted or caused by a vehicle, machinery or equipment (VME) in the street. It includes noise from:

• Musical instruments
• Car alarms ( covered in another section)
• Stationary vehicles with engines idling
• Refrigerator units operating
• Hydraulic tail lifts
• Skip loading equipment
• Goods deliveries
• DIY car repairs
• Professional car repairs in the street
• Any industrial or work activities spilling out into the street
• All building, engineering, and demolition works in the streets arising from the use of compressors, generators and pumps left unattended
• Buskers and street musicians using instruments irrespective of whether or not electrically powered, ghetto blasters
• Street parties and informal gatherings where amplification equipment is used
• Audio systems in stationary vehicles
• Pickets in industrial disputes using loudspeakers

It excludes:

• Traffic noise
• Noise made by military forces
• Noise from campaigning demonstrations

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Out of hours service

If unreasonable noise occurs at night between 8pm and 3.30am or any time from Friday night to 3:30am on Monday morning, we have dedicated noise officers patrolling the borough who can respond during this time. This service operates every day of the year apart from the nights of December 25 and December 31. There is also no officers on duty during the day on Bank Holidays.

To contact the out of hours noise patrol, please call 020 7364 7070.

Tower Hamlets council actively works with residents, businesses, developers and regional partners to control levels of noise. We can also carry out noise level assessment and monitor construction site development to ensure the well being of the borough.

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Public entertainment licensing

Licences for the performance of music in a public place (including an open space) within the Borough of Tower Hamlets, are issued by the council's Trading Standards Licensing Section:

Room 215
3rd floor
41-47 Bow Road
E3 2BS

Tel: 020 7364 5007

Opening hours 9am to 5pm.

Pid Nos: 412, 417, 601