Noise nuisance problems
Noise nuisance can come from a multitude of sources including:
- noisy stereos
- barking dogs
- shouting and raised voices
- noise from licensed premises and construction work.
Not all noise nuisance complaints can be handled by the council; for details of these noises and who to contact please visit our other causes of noise page.
What to do first
The best way to deal with unwanted noise is to approach the person/company responsible for the noise and explain the problem. This is often enough to resolve the problem completely. The Guildford Mediation Service may be able to help you achieve this.
After all other avenues have been explored you can choose to contact the Environmental Health and Licensing Services who have a duty to investigate complaints of noise from premises (land and buildings) and vehicles, machinery or equipment in the street.
Making a formal complaint
To make a complaint about noise please contact the Environmental Health department or alternatively submit an online complaint form.
Evidence of a nuisance has to be obtained. This is initially collected by the complainant who completes a diary to demonstrate exactly what the problem is, how often it is happening and what effect it is having on them.
Once the diaries are received the nuisance will be assessed by the team and can be further investigated. This can be done by officers witnessing the problem, by the use of noise monitoring equipment, or by interviewing the complainant.
The legislation governing the council’s decisions on noise nuisance cases is sections 80 and 81 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (as amended by the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993). To see a copy of the regulations please go to the Office of Public Sector Information website (this page opens in a new window).
Environmental Health and Licensing Services
Guildford Borough Council
Millmead House
Millmead
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4BB
Tel: 01483 444371
Fax: 01483 444546
Email: environmentalhealth@guildford.gov.uk