Enjoy a quiet summer in east Suffolk as nuisance noise hotline reopens
Lowestoft's Riverside building. Picture: Nick Butcher. - Credit: Nick Butcher
A nuisance noise 'hotline' has reopened, to help ensure that people in east Suffolk are able to enjoy a peaceful summer.
With noise complaints more common over the summer months as people spend more time outside enjoying the warmer weather and light evenings, Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District councils have relaunched their seasonal 'out of hours' hotline.
Reopening last week on May 1, residents can now call 01502 527132 outside normal working hours to report a noise concern in either district.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, the service is available between 7pm and 1am in Waveney and between 8pm and 1am in Suffolk Coastal. On Sunday evenings on Bank Holiday weekends, the service is available from 7pm until midnight across east Suffolk.
Andrew Reynolds, environmental protection manager for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney said: 'In the summer months, when windows are open and more time is spent outside, excess noise can become a problem for some people.
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'We depend on our neighbours to be considerate, but loud parties, barbecues, or simply turning up music in the house so that it can be heard in the garden, can all adversely affect others during the summer months. The same applies to car stereos and entertainment noise from pubs, clubs and businesses.
'Working closely with Suffolk Police, officers from our Environmental Protection team will be on call throughout the summer to respond to reports of nuisance noise. However we would always ask that residents and businesses are considerate of their neighbours and keep noise to an acceptable level in the first place.
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'We want east Suffolk to be a great place to live in, to work and to have fun and reducing the effects of intrusive noise plays an important part in this.'
About 700 noise complaints are made to Waveney District Council each year, with a further 400 made in Suffolk Coastal. Environmental Protection officers from both councils work together to protect east Suffolk residents from nuisances such as excessive noise.
Reported noise incidents can result in legal action being taken against the perpetrators, ranging from the serving of an abatement notice to prosecution. In addition, officers can enter premises, confiscate equipment or make application to magistrates for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order.
The out of hours services runs until September 30.
For more details on what the councils can do to tackle nuisance noise, visit www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/environmental-protection
