Noise affects people in different ways. At the moment there is no legal level at which noise becomes a "nuisance".

Any noise which is loud or obtrusive enough to affect someone else's enjoyment of their property can be a nuisance.

If we have evidence that you are causing a statutory nuisance, a legal notice may be served on you under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

If you carry on in breach of this notice you can be taken to court and fined up to £5,000.

Your sound equipment can also be confiscated.

Types of noise we will investigate include:

• noisy neighbours
• barking dogs
• outdoor events
• commercial property noise
• building work

If you make a complaint about noise to us, we will:

• respond to urgent incidents within 24 hours
• respond to non-urgent incidents within 5 working days
• mediate between complainants to provide a solution
• take prompt enforcement action, if possible, when matters cannot be resolved
• offer advice about how people can take private action
• raise awareness and provide advice to prevent problems
• monitor the type of incidents reported and seek ways to address specific recurring problems