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Noise from demolition and construction sites
Construction noise Demolition and construction are part of modern day living. The law aims to strike a balance between allowing building work to proceed without undue levels of disturbance to local residents.

With this in mind no noisy work should be undertaken on site outside the following recommended hours of working:
  • Monday to Friday – 7.30am to 6pm
  • Saturday - 8am to 1pm
  • Sundays and Bank Holidays - no working
Contractors may work outside these hours if they are not causing any noise i.e. painting and decorating. The times can vary on occasions where health and safety prevails. There is a responsibility on the developer or builder to keep noise on site down 'where reasonably practicable'. So, for example, they may not be able to make a pneumatic drill quiet but they have a responsibility to ensure it has a noise-reducing jacket on it or that a radio played on site is at a level that does not disturb neighbours.

Making a complaint

We will need you to provide the following
  • details of where the noise is coming from, the site address or house number and street address
  • what time is the noise happening, e.g. early in the morning
  • your name, address and contact telephone number
We will either write to visit the address where the noise is happening and let them know we have had a complaint. We may also ask you to fill in log sheets with the dates and the times of when the noise is occurring. This helps us decide if it is a statutory nuisance.

Environmental Health only take action where they are satisfied a statutory nuisance exists. ‘Statutory nuisance’ is defined by case law and therefore regularly updated by the Courts and not easy to describe. However, as a general guide the noise should be an ongoing state of events; and have a major impact on your life not merely causing annoyance.

Action we can take

If there is evidence that there may be a Statutory Nuisance then we will look at taking further action. This could be putting noise recording equipment in or an officer making a visiting to witness the noise and assess if the noise constitutes a nuisance.

If a nuisance is confirmed we will serve a Noise Abatement Notice preventing further noise nuisance. Failure to comply with a Noise Abatement Notice is a criminal offence.

Further information

Please contact Environmental Health on 01784 446251 or e-mail environmental.health.domestic@spelthorne.gov.uk