Northampton Borough Council (19 015 347)

Statement Not upheld Noise 06-Nov-2020

Summary: the complainants say the Council failed to properly investigate a complaint of statutory noise nuisance. The Council says it followed its usual practice in line with WHO guidelines. The Ombudsman finds the Council acted without fault.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (20 005 113)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Noise 05-Nov-2020

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council responded to Ms Y’s reports of a car alarm going off near her property. This is because there is not enough injustice to justify our involvement.

East Staffordshire Borough Council (19 017 558)

Statement Not upheld Noise 29-Oct-2020

Summary: Mr B complained about the Council’s actions in restricting his contact over noise issues with his neighbour. We do not find fault with the Council.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (20 003 963)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Noise 19-Oct-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot and will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council failed to take action against his neighbour to prevent antisocial behaviour. We cannot investigate complaints about the Council’s management of social housing, we would be unlikely to find fault with the Council’s other actions and it is unlikely we could achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (20 003 120)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Noise 29-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about noise from the Council’s recycling site. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault by the Council. Nor should the Ombudsman investigate how the Council handled her complaint. This is because the injustice caused is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Wychavon District Council (19 017 923)

Statement Upheld Noise 28-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr D says the Council delayed resolving a statutory noise nuisance. The Ombudsman has found evidence of fault by the Council. It could and should have acted sooner resulting in delays of over two months. The Ombudsman has completed the investigation and upheld the complaint. The Council has agreed to pay Mr D financial redress.

Babergh District Council (19 018 486)

Statement Not upheld Noise 28-Sep-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s investigation and decision on her noise complaint, resulting in her continued suffering from noise. The Ombudsman finds no fault in the Council’s investigation or decision making process.

London Borough of Brent (19 001 541)

Statement Upheld Noise 24-Sep-2020

Summary: Ms X complained about the way the Council responded to her concerns about her neighbour’s loud music. The Council was at fault for not telling Ms X how it dealt with her reports of noise nuisance. It also failed to respond to her complaint. That caused Ms X avoidable uncertainty and frustration. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and make a symbolic payment for the injustice caused. It will also remind staff to keep complainants updated about how they are responding to their noise nuisance concerns.

Plymouth City Council (19 010 928)

Statement Upheld Noise 22-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr X complained on behalf of his relative, Mr Y, about noise nuisance from a business premises near Mr Y’s home. The Council was at fault. There was delay and errors in how the Council managed Mr Y’s case, which caused Mr Y frustration and distress. The Council has apologised to Mr Y, but this is insufficient to remedy the injustice caused. The Council will pay Mr Y £200 to acknowledge its errors and distress caused and review its procedures.

Chelmsford City Council (20 003 038)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Noise 21-Sep-2020

Summary: Mr C complained about the Council’s assessment of the noise nuisance he reported and the lack of enforcement action that followed. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault in how the Council reached its decision.