Kirklees residents have been told to ‘spare a thought for their neighbours’ as the council takes a new approach to tackling night time noise.
As temperatures rise and the evenings are brighter, people gather to enjoy time outdoors with their family and friends. But this can lead to an increase in noise.
In response to the annual rise in noise complaints in the summertime, Kirklees Council’s Pollution and Noise Control Team previously operated a ‘Night Time Noise Service’ where officers would visit residents to address complaints in real time.
The local authority says that while effective, this approach was “resource-intensive”, with officers often unable to capture the noise in time during busy periods. As a result, a new free mobile app is being introduced in a bid to streamline the complaints process which is available for residents to download.
The “Noise App” records sound which can then be sent on to the Pollution and Noise Control Team for investigation.
Cllr Munir Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways said: “As the weather improves, of course more of us want to take advantage of being outside and spending time with friends and family. Unfortunately, the council’s Pollution and Noise Control Team see a huge increase in complaints over this time, as understandably too much noise can be disturbing.
“It’s easy to get carried away when having parties, but please spare a thought for your neighbours and keep noise to a minimum to avoid disruption.
“I am really pleased to see the release of this new app which will make it easier for residents to report noise disturbances and will also support council officers in their investigations.”
More information on dealing with noise, reporting regular disturbances and how to download the app, can be found on the council’s noise nuisance web page here: https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/crime-and-safety/noise-nuisance.aspx
You can also get in touch with the Pollution and Noise Control Team by phone on 01484414739 or by email: pollution@kirklees.gov.uk.
