AIBU to give you an update re Church noise?

[alittlequinnie]

I am not sure if you remember my original thread but I asked people to let me know what would be considered reasonable in relation to noise levels of living next door to a Church.

The thread gathered pace and I left it just before we had a meeting with the Council, the Methodist Church members and the Seventh Day Adventist Members.

Just to let you all know that the meeting went ahead on Friday. The Methodist Minister didn't actually manage to get any representatives from the Seventh Day Adventists to the meeting - he said that he had been waiting for a letter from the Council before asking them. However, he sees them every single Saturday and the meeting has been booked for about 6 weeks so I am not sure why he found it so difficult to verbally tell them.

So there was just my DH and I, the Methodist Minister we deal with, the Council lady and one other Minister (higher up) from the Methodist Church.

Basically we all put our findings - which was mostly my DH and I because we are ones moaning.

There was no defence to the noise - just putting facts really. The Methodist Minister we speak with is a bit of a drip and didn't really have any solutions.

The Council however said that they were just here to fact gather and to see if a solution could be found through mediation.

She did mention that when there is a noise nuisance they usually monitor the property making the noise at the border. This means that any noise leakage at the border can be considered a nuisance.

Obviously the noise is leaking over their border, over our border and into our house so we feel cautiously optimistic that they are breaching "something".

The plan is as follows:

• We continue to monitor for another 6 weeks now the meeting has taken place to see if any improvement.
  
  *We give a copy of our findings to the Methodist Minister every Sunday so that he can speak with the Seventh Day Adventists about the issues to see what he can do.
  
  *Somebody from the SDA's to come over to our house and give us name and contact number so we can speak with them directly if there is a particular issue
  
  
• Review after 6 weeks.
  
  First Saturday of the 6 weeks was the one just gone. Absolutely no improvement whatsoever - we could hear the lyrics of the hymns they were singing in our bedroom still.
  
  Also we gave the copy of the noise diary to the Minister but nobody from SDA's came over to our house to give us contact details.
  
  Will keep plugging at it but not sure how effective it is to have had the meeting when the SDA's were not there - so frustrating for the Methodist Minister not to manage to do this simple thing!
  
  I'm going to now start to tackle the terrible parking to see if that helps the situation at all. I feel if there are less cars piled on the double yellows, pedestrian crossing, accross my garage and on the zig zag lines there may be less people milling around all together?
  
  Who knows!

[hazell42]

Milling around together?
They dont call it a congregation for nothing, you know

[BettysLeftTentacle]

Can you link to your original thread OP?

[Eve]

So I understand, did you move next door to a church or did it suddenly appear next to you?

[TeachesOfPeaches]

Hi OP, I followed your OP with interest and I am a first time buyer. I'm now looking at proximity to churches as part of my no-go criteria.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

I'm glad you had the meeting, and sorry that not everyone you needed was there!

I didn't see your original thread, so apologies if you covered this.

Obviously the noise is leaking over their border, over our border and into our house so we feel cautiously optimistic that they are breaching "something".

That's not quite the case. They measure the volume of sound at the border for usually 48 to 72 hours. They then see how much sound passes over, and for how long, and then compare that to what would be reasonable. If you moved in next to a church, they'd allow more noise than if you moved in next to a house that subsequently became a church. Similarly to if you move in next to a pub, the amount of noise at your border is always going to be a lot more than if you moved in next to another house. Generally pubs are expected to be noisy, especially at weekends and evenings; and all they have to do is ask patrons to leave quietly. Church would be expected to be noisy during services, and if it's a church that holds events, also during those events.

Did you get legal advice before you raised this to the council? Usually a solicitor will do their own assessment first, so that if noise is likely to be found to be allowed, you can avoid raising it to the council and therefore having to declare it if you decide to move.

I do hope this resolves well for you. The parking situation sounds pretty bad too!

[alittlequinnie]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3671715-AIBU-to-ask-you-to-clarify-reasonable-in-my-dispute-with-a-church-and-noise

I hope that link works.....

[Bubsworth]

Really OP.

Where is the eyeroll emoticon?

[IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod]

I read your original thread and was hoping for good news
Fingers crossed something changes

[GreyhoundzRool]

I remember your thread OP.
@Eve from what I remember the church was always there but there was no issue until the Methodist Minister started “renting out” the church to the Seventh Day Adventists, so the OP can’t be accused of moving next to a church and then complaining.

[makingmammaries]

Thanks for the update, OP. I feel your pain and hope you get progress on this.

[marvellousnightforamooncup]

Hope you get it sorted OP.

[Eve]

Do you moved next door to a church and are now complaining about noise from normal church activities

..,you are ‘that’ person.

As for calling the minister wet, I bet he’s trying to be polite and not give his opinion of what he really thinks of you.

[WaterSheep]

Shameless placemark to see all the posters saying the OP is unreasonable to moan about a church, and that noise should be expected.

I read your other thread and it's clear they really don't give a shit about you and your other neighbours. Like Teaches has said, if I ever move house churches are a definite no go now.

Unfortunately I don't think the situation will change OP, and I commend you for putting up with it for so long.

[peppaporkysandwich]

What's wrong with church noises? It's better than the annoying bass jumping out of boy racer cars at night.

[PuzzledObserver]

@Eve you really need to read OP’s original thread before reaching that conclusion.

[Bbang]

@Bubsworth read the original thread before you eyeroll.

OP I commented on your original thread and mentioned we lived within a few miles of a SDA worship site and that the noise that comes out of the place is astronomical. I wouldn’t last 5 minutes if they randomly moved in next to me and I had to put up with that noise several times a week and ridiculous hours of the night.

[peppaporkysandwich]

I grew up near a church and love the sound of church bells 🔔

[MashedSpud]

What a shame you’re going through all that (I just read through the linked thread).

I live right by a very old church and I adore the church bells. Thankfully they don’t host loud events.

[Ihatesundays]

@eve have you read the original thread?

[ErrolTheDragon]

• Do you moved next door to a church and are now complaining about noise from normal church activities 
  
  ..,you are ‘that’ person.*
  
  She didn't and she isn't. The church she lives next to (the Methodists) aren't the problem, except they're renting out their building to a group who make a lot of noise and clearly have no respect whatever for other people.
  
  Good luck, OP.

[82YorkshireLass]

I remember your original thread and people really need to read that before jumping to conclusions and having a go about you moving next to a church. This is not normal noise from a church, it sounds horrendous and I really hope you get the positive outcome you need.

[Circe32]

@eve have you read the original thread?

This

Please read the original thread before commenting.

[DriftingLeaves]

Maybe the eye rollers ought to read the original thread. She moved next door to some quiet Methodists and has found herself plagued by seventh day adventists, who are very, very noisy in their worship.

[EscapeTheCastle]

The OP is putting up with some terrible things. This is an update. Read the original thread. Then comment.

[waltzingparrot]

Have you asked the minister to come and sit in your house at the noisiest time and hear it for himself? He might just be a bit more empathetic.