NEARLY 2,500 noise complaints were reported across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole last year. 

Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information reveal BCP Council received 2,453 complaints of noisy neighbours in the calendar year of 2021 – with parties being the main issue. 

A total of 667 complaints were made to the council in relation to noisy parties and 501 were made because of a noisy domestic disturbance – usually arguments. 

Nine complaints were made because of car repairs being too loud, 21 for car alarms and 23 for residential alarms sounding. 

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Bournemouth Echo: Dogs barking were amongst the listDogs barking were amongst the list (Image: Pixabay)

Several dogs were the subject of complaints, too, with 247 being reported for barking. The owners of 33 other domestic animals were reported for noise. 

Also among the complaints was 284 for amplified music, 22 for loud TVs and radios, 238 commercial/industrial noise disturbances, 90 for construction and demolition, 156 for licensable premises and 162 were for other, unspecified reasons. 

Councillor Bobbie Dove, portfolio holder for community safety and regulatory services, said: “Greater numbers of people working from home and more prolonged periods of good weather can be attributed to an increase in noise complaints.  

“High levels of disturbance from noise are likely, as residents are exposed to noise for longer durations whilst noise is more audible through open windows. We have also seen increases in other types of domestic nuisance, such as smoke from bonfires. 

Bournemouth Echo: Parties topped the listParties topped the list (Image: Unsplash)

“To address this we have continued to support residents through our night-time and weekend on-call services for noise and other nuisances, whereby we are able to respond to incidents of noise nuisance promptly and, where we witness a nuisance, prevent it’s continuation.  

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“We do this initially by asking the person causing the noise to reduce the sound level. Usually this is sufficient, but if our requests are ignored we serve an enforcement notice which, if not complied with, results in prosecution and/or seizure of the noise-making equipment.” 

Between April 2020 and March 2021, a period when people were required to stay indoors for the covid lockdown, BCP Council received 1,704 noise complaints linked to neighbours. 

That figure was up 24 per cent from the same period the year before.