Borough Life Autum 2006: Now hear this
Are you a good neighbour?
In many cases people don’t make loud noise to deliberately annoy their neighbours.
But to prevent a knock on the door, here are a few tips on how to stop some of the more common problems.
For Those About To Rock…
For the folks next door, Iron Maiden’s Greatest Hits may not be the ideal soundtrack to their evening.
Make sure speakers are away from party walls and floors and keep the volume reasonable, taking into account the time of day.
Earphones may be an answer – that way you can play it loud without annoying the neighbours.
It’s Me Or The Dog!
Dogs bark continuously because of loneliness and boredom.
If you have to leave Fido home alone get him used to the idea gradually. Start by leaving him in another room for a while. Always remember to reward your dog for being quiet, not while they are barking.
The public health team has information on professional dog training and can even refer vexed pet lovers to a dog psychologist.
All Back To Mine?
If you are leaving a pub, bar, club, party or friend’s house in the wee small hours, be considerate.
Say your goodbyes quietly. Avoid shouting, slamming doors or revving car engines.
Smash And Grab
Car and house burglar alarms are a constant source of noise problems, especially when people go on holiday and their alarm goes off for no good reason. So just in case, leave a set of keys with a trusted neighbour or family member who can come in and turn it off.
It’s 3am on a Sunday morning.
For the past three hours there’s been a constant thump! thump! thump! coming through the wall from the neighbour’s house.
As insomnia tightens its grip, the bass notes are actually beginning to make your teeth rattle.
The first fleeting trills of birdsong lilt through your open window and you realise that dawn is on the way.
Like any other reasonable person all sorts of questions fly through your mind:
Do I have to put up with this? Is there anyone who can help me to stop this? Where did I put that axe?
The message from Wigan Council is that you don’t have to suffer loud noise in silence.
In a typical year the community protection department can deal with more than a thousand complaints from irate members of the public who are having their peace and tranquillity shattered.
Dogs barking, kids playing out, even the early morning sound of cockerels have all been lodged as legitimate complaints by borough-dwellers.
“We have had a number of complaints about people who have brought cockerels onto their allotments,” says principal public health officer Caroline Maffia. “It may be great if you’re in the country, but maybe not so good at 5am in the middle of Wigan!”
But by far the biggest source of complaints Caroline and the team receive is about inconsiderate noisy neighbours – whether it’s parties in the small hours, rows or doors slamming.
When the public health team is asked to investigate they first ask the person who has made the complaint to keep a diary of when and where the noise is happening.
“We will go out and speak to the neighbour to try and resolve the problem before the need for further action,” says Caroline.
“But if this fails, we can set up hi-tech noise monitoring equipment to record what’s going on and use it as evidence.
“’If the problem persists we can serve a noise abatement order, which tells the noise maker to turn it down,” says Caroline. “If they ignore this then it can lead to prosecution and a hefty fine. In some cases the courts can order stereos and speakers to be confiscated.”
What the public health team is really trying to promote is better communication between neighbours. “We are always willing to get involved, but the process can often take quite a while,” says Caroline. “If you have a noise problem that you want to resolve quickly then it really is good to talk.”
For advice and help with unacceptable levels of noise, residents can call the council’s community protection department on 01942 827110 for Wigan and 01942 733349 for Leigh. Wigan & Leigh Housing tenants should contact their local housing office.