Anyone know anything about restrictions on commercial refuse collections in residential areas?

[talbot]

Would greatly appreciate any advice. We live next door to a private hospital in what is otherwise a wholly residential area. Around 6 weeks ago, the hospital changed the time of their waste collection to 5.15am, three days a week. The noise is huge and wakes up all five of us every single time. Our neighbours are also woken by it. I have written to the hospital twice but have received no reply (have also emailed and phoned with no seccess). Have also contacted the council but have no idea if/when they are going to do anything about it.

I have searched and searched but can't find anything which sets out what time commercial deliveries/ collections can be made in a residential area. I would be really grateful if anyoone could tell me what the guidelines are. We are all exhausted!

Your local council should have a "commercial noise nuisance" team or something like that. I would ask them. Seems too early to me.

Oh, sorry, you have already contacted the council. Things I read online did seem to say that the time of the noise can be taken into consideration when dealing with this sort of thing, but not a blanket idea of what counts as too early. The fact that it's before 6 must count in your favour though - a council residential rubbish collection would never come before 6.

Yes, I've contacted the council but have just had an acknowledgement that at some point, they will be in contact. I am getting desparate for some reassurance that the hospital will eventually be forced to change the collection times as we are all shattered by it.

Don't know if councils vary, but no rubbish is collected by our council anywhere before 7am. I would pursue the council rather than the hospital - see if you can ring them to hurry things up.

Thanks for your comments - I should have made it clear that it is carried out by a private company rather than the council.

I don't believe that there are any such regulations or restrictions. However, Environmental Health at teh Council should have a 'nuisance' team that should deal wtih this sort of issue, if necessary putting sound equipment into one of your rooms or the garden to record the background level of noise and the rubbish collection - this will (eventually) hopefully lead to the problem stopping. If you haven't contacted environmental health dept, I would do so and get as many neighbours as you can to contact them too - preferably on a very regular basis until you have someone coming to do something about it.

Yes but the council will be able to stop the activities of a private company if it breeches their rules.

Thanks so much MT, I suspect you are right about there not being any such regulations. Will get on to EH, I am very confident that the noise generated would be such as to constitute a "nuisance". Thanks again