Cost of living support
Colchester City Council is providing support for residents facing the cost of living crisis.
Colchester City Council is providing support for residents facing the cost of living crisis.
Contents
No home is soundproof, and it is normal for you and your neighbours to hear each other. It is only when a noise goes beyond what is ‘normal’ that it becomes a nuisance.
Noise nuisance is broadly defined as excessive noise that causes stops your normal "quiet enjoyment" of your property. This is known as a ‘statutory nuisance’.
Under Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, we have the power to deal with a noise nuisance which is persistent and unreasonable. The level of noise, its timing and how long it lasts may be taken into consideration when deciding whether a nuisance has occurred.
In most cases, we will only investigate noises coming from private land or property, but there are some exceptions. One example is a car alarm from a car parked in the road.
The law does not specify a maximum noise level (decibel level) that is considered a nuisance. Each case is judged on what might be reasonable and normal for the situation.
Page last reviewed: 5 October 2020