AIBU to ask you to clarify "reasonable" in my dispute with a church and noise?

[alittlequinnie]

My DH and I have a meeting next week with the Council and representatives of the Church next door.

We have had trouble with noise issues for the past four years.

The result of the meeting will probably be defined by the Council's idea of what you should "reasonably" expect as noise from a Church.

Would any of you be able to take the time to suggest what you would suggest would be "reasonable" to expect if you lived next door to a Church?

I don't want to give too much info yet because it needs to be an unbiased opinion.

To help though the Church is a very modern one - built in the 1980s / 1990's and a Methodist Church.

I'd be so grateful if you could let me know what you would expect if you lived next to a Church.

[Coldilox]

How long have you lived there? If less time than the church has been there, I don’t think you get much say. Unless they’ve just started hosting all night raves

[ashtrayheart]

Are they praying too loud for you?

[NerrSnerr]

I would say noise in the daytime is reasonable if it's 'church' noise like music etc. At night I would like it to go quiet from 8pm unless it's really rare.

[twinkletoesimnot]

Um presuming it was there when you moved in ???
I would think music, people coming and going for events, singing, maybe brownies or other children's activities. Maybe parties. In our village you can book the methodist church and use it like the village hall.

[OwlinaTree]

I'd expect to hear noise on a Sunday morning for a couple of hours. Maybe music, bells possibly. If there's a car park, noise of cars parking etc. People chatting outside the church before and after.

Maybe similar Sunday evening.

It also depends if the church is hired out by other groups. I wouldn't expect to hear noise after 10/11 at night, or too early, like before 8.

[SlowasaSnail]

Singing, bells, weddings, christening , Christmas fayre type behaviour would be all reasonable.

Raves, drunken, late night singing, not so much.

[MiniMum97]

I think you need to be more specific about the noise and then people can say if they think that's reasonable or not. Also did you move next to the church and had problems since or have the problems started after you moved in (ie have they got noisier?)

[Lunafortheloveogod]

Is it a church hall type church like youth groups n party rental type events?

[Merrymumoftwo]

It would depend on the type of church. Generally though lots of people on the designated holy day, songs, bell ringing, noise from people socialising after. Some of this would be in the evening too. I would not expect lots of car horns beeping, loud music from waiting vehicles, revving engines.

[Cherrysoup]

Methodist, you say? I’d expect some stonking singing at every service. I presume no bells as it’s modern?

Singing every service. Very loud organ, probably.
Possibly recordings of bells for weddings as this is quite common.
People going in/coming out chatting.

I think it’s dumb to whinge about noise from a church if it’s any of the above. You didn’t have to move next door! I used to live below Liverpool Anglican cathedral, it was just tough, you get used to the bells. It’s a church, after all.

[SauvignonBlanche]

I’d expect car doors slamming from 08:00 (actually 07:45 onwards for an 8am service) to 23:00 for evening functions.

I’d expect church bell, organ music and lots of singing. Probably n9 drunkenness if they’re Methodists.

A retirement village near us complained aboard noise from a long established RC social club they’d built next to - they didn’t get very far.

[twirlypoo]

I am intrigued as to what you are experiencing! Assuming you moved in after it was a church?! I’d expect bells ringing, groups coming and going, singing, music from kids parties / groups etc, oh and parking issues! Living by a church isn’t a quiet affair I wouldn’t have thought!

[Cherrysoup]

Meant to say, our Catholic Church, end of our street, hires out the adjacent hall for wedding receptions\parties. I join in the singing every Sunday morning hanging out my washing.

[bridgetreilly]

I would expect noise from all kinds of events, including music and crowds of people, to stop certainly by 11pm and ideally by 10pm. I would expect this to be happening on any day of the week. I would expect weekend noise not to begin before 8am. I might also expect church bells if it's that sort of church.

Churches are social and community buildings. I'm afraid that if you were only expecting noise a couple of hours on a Sunday morning, you were qrong.

[Coffeeandchocolate9]

I'm REALLY intrigued about what unreasonable noise from a church might sound like!

[YouTheCat]

Singing, guitars and occasional dos if they hire out the hall.

If they have brownies/scouts there then that'll be a bit noisy a few times a week but no more so than living near kids anyway.

[BogglesGoggles]

I was going to say bells but apparently not. I would expect singing and instruments (without amplification) and the sounds of people coming in/out for services at reasonable times. Possibly children playing if they have an outdoor space.

[Shakirasma]

Id expect it to be in use 7 days a week.
Singing groups and music practice.
Youth groups
Children's groups
Prayer meetings
Community groups
I'd also expect some level of noise from 8.30am until 10pm or so

[Didiusfalco]

Noise on a Sunday including morning and evening service, toddler groups, brownie and guide groups, fellowship groups. Some of these would take place in the evening, mostly finished by 8.00. The odd church social - possibly once a quarter, that might end more around 10.30ish. Probably a Christmas pantomime too. Depending on the church, possibly a weekly evening meal for needy/homeless people. Bible studies groups that might take place in the evening. Given the age of the church, no bells or overnight noise (barring the odd brownie sleepover!). I’m now curious about what noise you are getting!

[Ibiza2015]

I lived opposite St George’s in Beckenham when Princess Diana died. They had half muffled knells hourly for a week between her death and funeral. Same will probably happen when Brenda or Stavros shuffle off their mortal coil.

I think generally moaning about hourly chimes and normal church noise would only be objected to by prize plums. In my experience it’s a very effective way of ensuring everyone in your local area hates you, complaining about stuff like that.

[Stonerosie67]

Oh op, don't turn out to be one of those stupid people who move next door to something that has been there for years then expect it to change to accommodate them.
Like the bastards that moved next to our farm then complained about our cockerel and guinea fowl...yeah, that went well

[herculepoirot2]

I would expect music in the day, not every day. Sometimes I would expect (though wouldn’t necessarily be thrilled with) energetic prayer. I might expect maintainence work, ordinary noise of that sort.

[Di11y]

the same sort of noise as a community hall, and no worse than neighbourhood noise ie quiet after 10pm or whatever.

plus drums and singing etc twice on a Sunday.

[ZenNudist]

Just posted to find out what the noise is? Church covers a broad spectrum so you could have Christian rock music and late night enthusiastic prayer sessions for allcomers but i dont associate evangelical with methodist.

I was at a community hall doing yoga and there was deafening noise from a spritualist or evangelical group. Loads of shouting over a bad PA.

[Bookworm4]

What noise are you saying is an issue?