No way to deal with noise during the night in my Southeast London Borough?!

[Flump1234]

So for 2 nights in a row someone nearby has been blasting extremely loud music from about 2am to 5.30am. I put up with it for 1 night thinking it was a one off, but on the second night I called the local police as our flat was basically vibrating, someone in my family is ill and really needed rest before work tomorrow.
The police said they have no powers to deal with noise complaints but gave me a dedicated number for the council. Called them, and it went straight to voicemail which is apparently checked within office hours and responded to within 5days. It turns out they will only go and deal with noise disturbance from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm?!
What is the point in a local environmental health service if they can't even keep order in their own borough? What on earth am I paying taxes for? Surely dealing with anti-social behaviour is an absolute minimum you'd expect of local law enforcement and government?

My day is now ruined because I haven't slept a wink for most of the night.

I just don't get how people can have fun knowing they're making so many people's lives miserable.

This would really annoy me. Other people in your building will also be affected. Do you know how they feel about it?
is it an unsociable BH weekend thing or have you got crazy new neighbours?
Does anyone feel able to approach these people & talk to them?

Thing is it's not coming from our building as we live in a maisonette, with just a sweet old lady who lives below us. I can't quite place where it's coming from. It's extremely loud but I think it's not on our road. If it happens again we might walk around to suss it out so we can at least go and talk to them... Although the idea of doing that intimidates me, as the kind of people who think it's ok to make other people's lives miserable may likely be very confrontational and unreasonable.

It's outrageous and I would find out who your local councillor is and complain. Every council can apparently choose whether they have an officer who deals with noise at night and it seems most just don't bother any more. I think they can visit during the day and potentially leave equipment to monitor the noise if it continues.

I know our council has a line from 10pm to 3am on weekends but I don't know if anyone even responds anymore. I had to try and sort out something with the council the other day (which is still not resolved) and was told that they are all working from home so I had to be understanding as my issue would take longer to deal with! I said well if everything takes longer, surely they are less efficient and need to get back to the office (I heard no more!).

Make sure you start gathering evidence in the meantime. Start a diary and make a note of times the noise starts and stops and date it. If you can, record the noise on your phone so you can show the level of noise. This will all help when speaking to the council. If you can also get your neighbours to complain, that will help too. And yes, to seeing if your local councillor can help.

Derelict building with a rave?

Sounds like a professional sound system rather than someone's own home equipment.

If you do discover the building where it's taking place you might be able to get police action if you report seeing drugs being sold.

Complain to the people who own the building.

Tbh I think the police are bullshitting you. They can go and knock on a door and tell them they are causing a nuisance. They probably just don't want to.

Since when do the police not respond to things like overloud, late parties?

Georgeskitchen
I think that the police haven’t dealt with noise complaints for a very long time.
From the Met Police web site:

“We'd always recommend having a polite word with your neighbour first as they may not be aware the noise is causing a nuisance. Try to reach a compromise if you can.

If this doesn’t work you can report a neighbour to your local council. They'll advise you on the next steps.

If you're in social housing, your housing provider can also provide you with help and advice.”

I usually advise people try a brown noise app on their Alexa or phone. On a normal night, I keep it at a lowish volume and it blocks out street/low level neighbour noise.

When there is a party, I put it on full volume and it even blocks that out!

Let your councillor and MP know.

Yeah, we've had this. Unless you can prove something criminal is going on tbe police aren't interested. Noise nusiance is a civil matter and only the local council can enforce the bylaws.

Our local noise team used to be 24 hours, but now its office hours only. Even then the council will insist on evidence that you collect yourself, such as a noise diary and time stamped videos.

Sign of the times. I think councils are short of money and have to cut their cloth accordingly. It's incredibly difficult these days to get an abatement. (Bitter experience)

Wax ear plugs used properly are very effective

I heard this too though I think I am a lot further away - I could tell it was far away but it was still loud enough to wake me, iyswim. The bass was really penetrating. I hope it was a bank holiday thing and has now finished. I don’t know if you want to say exactly where you are, I know from next door that there is a house in honor oak park that’s been having extremely loud parties though I can’t believe I would hear that from where I am.

thd talk on nextdoor is that the police now don’t come out for ‘noise’ 😡

It may have been miles away there was an unauthorised rave near us a few summers ago Dh went out in the street huffing to find who it was it was literally two miles away! Ended up on the local news

We had this problem over the pandemic when people were only meeting outdoors, a local pub erected a marquee in their beer garden and were playing extremely load dance music in the evenings.

Nothing could be done at the time the music was happening, but we and quite a few neighbours complained to the council. The council went out and spoke to the pub landlord twice, the second time they threatened to revoke their music licence or something, and then the problem stopped. So the council were actually helpful. But I think only if it's a persistent nuisance though, rather than a one off.

Do you think it might someone taking over a derelict property/space and using it for illegal raves?
We had that recently at the end of my street. We contacted the building owner (it is a commercial property), council and made some noise about the problem on social media. The building owners had the squatters evicted after that.

I think this was Warm Up - technically an illegal rave and usually held out in the Marshes where the noise doesn’t cause much disturbance but was taken to a different venue south east this weekend. The police are always tipped off and backhanded so won’t come out.

Really? How do you know that about the police? :O