Do local MPs have any power? I have a massive problem I need help with...

[parchedjanuary]

Hello,

Can anyone please give me any advice (because otherwise I will definitely go insane)?

I live in a block of flats (if it's relevant, they are council flats).

All of the bedrooms face the street. Immediately opposite some of the flats (including mine), is a really big car park which is owned by a furniture/home improvement retail shop. It's a big company, but only local not national. At one time it was a household name in our city, but over the years the company has become less popular. As other companies such as ikea have become more popular.

So now, I guess to make money, the company hire out the car park to film production crews. Lots of dramas, documentaries and movies are filmed in our city. They don't actually film in the car park, they just set up camp here....they sort of live, sleep and eat here...but go to various locations in the city to do their filming.

I've lived here for 2 years. I never knew anything about this before I moved here. Within a few months of moving in the car park filled up with 30-40 articulated lorries, buses and also caravans and trailers etc. I wondered what was going on and found out that it was a film production company that we're renting the car park from the retail store.

Lots of different film crews rent the car park....they stay from anything from a few days to a few months. One group leaves and another group arrives.

My problem is this;

When the film crews are here they run electrical generators 24/7 to power their set up. It is horrible. Some of the generators are just LOUD and running 24/7. Some of the generators are quieter but the vibration that comes from them is really really horrible. It's literally the most uncomfortable noise and feeling....it literally makes my body feel on edge and anxious...even if I was actually okay! It's very difficult to describe, unless you have felt it yourself it's really difficult to understand.

The other issue: the film crews go off out on location to other parts of the city during the day, and sometimes they can end up filming quite late at night. When this happens they end up returning to their base in the car park at 1,2,3,4am! They do not return quietly! Lots and lots of the lorries have gone out to 'location' and they return in the early hours of the morning. So we are woken up by a sudden influx of articulated lorries. The roads are very narrow so there is a lot of reversing backwards and forwards accompanied by "BEEP BEEP BEEP STAND CLEAR VEHICLE REVERSEING BEEP BEEP BEEP ".... and men shouting "back a bit! swing it around! back back back! Stop! Forward!"

To be honest it is a complete nightmare.

I don't know what's worse really, the horrible humming vibrations from the generators or the 3am beeping shouting and lorry engines reving?

Is this okay?

How can I get help to make it stop??

I phoned and asked to speak to the store manager a few months ago. He called me and fobbed me off.

I contacted the council who referred it to environmental health . They sent me a 14 day noise diary to fill out. Unfortunately that particular film crew left the next day. And for 2 months there were no more.

I actually thought that environmental health had maybe dealt with it until a new crew turned up this evening!!

I spoke to some of the people in the crew this evening and they told me that the only reason it has been quiet is that they always take a break in December/January....and the new season is just starting!!! And this is a very popular pitch for the crews!!

Please can anyone help or advise? It's really horrible and I can't believe they are really allowed to do this right next to residential flats!! Is it because these are council flats, rather than private? Surely a business generating this much noise and disruption over night must be illegal??

What is a local MP? And could they help with this??

What do you mean by what is a local MP?
They are the Member of Parliament representing your constituency. What is it that you dont understand?

They can help with all sorts of things their constituents are having trouble with. A lot of local MPs work very hard to help with issues their residents are having. Some can be a little rubbish.

You just send them an email and if they cant help directly at the moment, they put you in touch with the right people. You might not hear directly from them but you'll hear from their staff. However, MPs usually step in when you've tried the normal route and it has failed. You haven't done that. Environmental health gave you a diary to fill out because they need to see what the problem is. You didnt complete that so nothing has been done. A new crew has turned up so time to complete the 14 day diary and take it from there.

@Itsalmostanaccessory

What do you mean by what is a local MP? They are the Member of Parliament representing your constituency. What is it that you dont understand?

They can help with all sorts of things their constituents are having trouble with. A lot of local MPs work very hard to help with issues their residents are having. Some can be a little rubbish.

You just send them an email and if they cant help directly at the moment, they put you in touch with the right people. You might not hear directly from them but you'll hear from their staff. However, MPs usually step in when you've tried the normal route and it has failed. You haven't done that. Environmental health gave you a diary to fill out because they need to see what the problem is. You didnt complete that so nothing has been done. A new crew has turned up so time to complete the 14 day diary and take it from there.

This is the stupidest reply ever, she didn't even ask that?

Anyway, yes your local mp can help, or at least give it a good try. They should have an office in the town and will have someone on reception there during working hours who can advise you and set up a meeting. Good luck x

These sorts of problems usually need lots of people to complain about them, so get other residents to also file complaints to the council. Perhaps you could get a petition going to take to your MP as well. Essentially the more noise you make (if you'll pardon the pun) the better.

Yes, you need to exhaust all the usual routes first so keep plugging away at environmental health with the noise diary. Maybe make some recordings of the noise/disruption from within your flat including the time if hours are anti-social. Write letters to the store manager. Speak to neighbours and ask them to do the same.

Then if the problem persists contact your mp outlining the steps you have taken and explaining the negative impact on yourself and your neighbours. In my job I've been contacted by a local mp because a constituent didn't like a decision I had made. It made my superiors much higher up take notice of the situation and I had to justify what I was doing. It can rattle a few cages but they don't have the power to just put a stop to it, presuming its all above board. But the manager of the shop might decide its not worth the hassle for the extra income if enough fuss is made.

@Itsalmostanaccessory Thank you very much for your reply. I know I am coming across a bit/very dim here. I won't try to excuse it. I just often hear people ranting and raving about going to the local mp about all kinds of things and I wonder if they ever get anywhere with that.

I do appreciate your advice. I believe I do still have the diary, so I will begin completing it immediately. Maybe I should also give environmental health a call and explain the delay/let them know that the pesky buggers are back? I honestly cannot take another year of the generators vibrating through my body while I try to get some sleep. It will drive me to

I think you need to start with filling out the noise diary for the two weeks, so you have something for them to go off of

Complain to your landlord as well as local mp. They may at least be able to help you in some way

Start filling out the diary. Record the noise and the sound of the vibration on your phone. Get in touch with your neighbours and get them to call environmental health too. Start a petition. Write to your ward councillor and the council cabinet member for environment, write to your local MP. In short, you have to kick up a fuss or they will think you're ok with it.

@PaddleBoardingMomma op did ask exactly that

What is a local MP? And could they help with this??

Final paragraph of the op. If you're going to accuse posters of being "stupid" it's best to read the actual op, otherwise you look pretty stupid yourself. That was a clear and helpful response telling op they need to exhaust the environmental health route before escalating to their mp

You need to coordinate efforts with everyone in your block if flats to complain to the council and environmental health first.

Do you have a residents committee? Can you drop a letter into each flat letting them know what you’re doing with the diary and asking them to do the same?

Your local MP will help if you show you’ve exhausted the normal routes first.

The film crews will need to have been granted some kind of permit from the council to set up like that, go down the environmental health route first.

I suggest you contact the council’s planning enforcement department as it sounds like there’s potentially been a change of use of the car park. Planning enforcement will investigate and send officers down to the site etc without the need for a 14 day diary of events.

In terms of the MP point, this stage you’d be better off contacting your local ward councillor rather than going straight to your MP, they’ll be able to engage with officers and much more in touch with local issues

This is the stupidest reply ever, she didn't even ask that?
It was an excellent reply. Particularly as it explained the MP wouldn't help unless the environmental officer route, including the 14 day diary had been exhausted first. Your reply, suggesting she try to skip that stage was far less helpful.

@PaddleBoardingMomma. You're very rude. @Itsalmostanaccessory gave an excellent, comprehensive response which was much better than yours.

Jesus OP, this sounds like a nightmare.

No advice but huge pity I'm very noise sensitive and know the sensations you're talking about,

You shouldn't have to, but while you're complaining, could you afford some noise reducing headphones? I live in the Sony WH-1000XM4 ones and can't recommend them enough.

Have you contacted your local councillor? If you haven’t and you don’t know who they are, find your council website there will be a tab/search button marked something like “my councillor/find my councillor”. And you can search on your location/address to find them. There may be more than one. They will have a contact phone numbe address and email. Write or phone them to tell them about this - ask them to come round to see/hear it for themselves if possible as they probably don’t live all that far from you. Explain who you have spoken to in your council’s departments etc. They will have a direct line into these officers and their manages and will be able to highlight it for you.

Involve your mp by all means but your local councillor is definitely someone you need to get involved - you are a voter and a tenant of their organisation.

do you have a neighbourhood accociation?
or one nearby?

look up on nextdoor or other social media.

also look up the council's planning portal to if there are conditions on the car park.
those generators cause a lot of pollution, look up anything wrt to environmental rules for your council.

good luck!

If you’re in Wales or Scotland your MP will probably refer you to your MS/MSP. Or the council, who may be issuing the filming permits.

@PaddleBoardingMomma

I answered exactly what the OP asked, and gave further information to explain how she would get that help and what she should do first.

I also asked what she didnt understand because I thought maybe she was thinking of something different from a member of parliament or had gotten confused about something as she didnt know what t was. So I might have been posting an answer which wouldnt make sense if she meant something else. Cross-wires can make advice confusing so best to check the OP wasnt thinking of something totally different.

But she asked. I answered. I gave her steps on what to do first. Not sure what your problem is?

@WhamBhamThankYouSpam

I suggest you contact the council’s planning enforcement department as it sounds like there’s potentially been a change of use of the car park. Planning enforcement will investigate and send officers down to the site etc without the need for a 14 day diary of events. In terms of the MP point, this stage you’d be better off contacting your local ward councillor rather than going straight to your MP, they’ll be able to engage with officers and much more in touch with local issues

This is a good idea OP. Do both, and hopefully one of them comes to something. If you dont get a satisfactory reply from the planning department or environmental health within a few weeks then go to your MP for help.

Omg thank you to EVERYONE who has replied to my post. Every single response has contained useful information. Sorry if I caused any disagreements/debates. But, this is all really helpful.

I was honestly feeling so literally helpless and despondent when the most recent crew arrived. I have to say, that surprisingly they have actually been shockingly well behaved over the last couple of days. There have been no overnight lorries and they are switching the loudest generators off overnight! I'm so happy that they are doing these things (I believe, in response to my complaint at the end of last year!).

I have been feeling so extremely anxious about the situation. But I'm feeling so much better now, because they do seem to have adapted what they do in response to me explaining how disruptive it is..... but also, massively, the information I have got from the responses here, make me feel a little bit more empowered about what exactly to do if the late night/early hours noise starts up again.

It is a horrible situation, and I really wish that the car park was not hired out to the film crews.... but thanks to the advice here, I feel a little less crazy, and a little bit more able to know who to talk to etc

Thank you 🙏