The UK has raised more than 250,000 noise complaints in the last 12 months
More than a quarter of a million noise complaints were made to UK councils last year, new data reveals.
That’s according to new Freedom of Information data obtained by Confused.com, which looked at how many noise complaints were made to councils of the top 100 populated cities in the UK.
According to the data, London is responsible for over half (158,958) of these noise complaints and was found to be the noisiest city in the study. In particular, Westminster is the noisiest borough, with one noise complaint for every five households.
The 10 noisiest cities to live in the UK
With the UK currently facing its third lockdown, peacefulness at home has become more valuable than ever, especially with more people working from home and children being homeschooled.
However, research shows thousands of noise complaints being directed at UK councils. In fact, in 12 months, councils for some of the top 100 populated cities in the UK received a whopping 268,125 complaints. But which cities are home to the noisiest neighbourhoods?
Ranking City Noise complaints over 12 months / Complaints per 10,000 households
1 London 158,958 515
2 Southampton 5,147 476
3 Bath 3,288 401
4 Portsmouth 3,490 384
5 Cambridge 1,693 307
6 Manchester 6,274 276
7 Oxford 1,521 257
8 Stockport 3,282 253
9 Luton 2,003 250
10 Brighton 3,182 249
Known for its hustle and bustle, London ranks as home to the noisiest neighbourhood, with a staggering total of 158,958 noise complaints, which is 515 complaints per 10,000 households. And further research shows 41% of London respondents in a survey by Confused.com admitted to making a noise complaint about their neighbour.
Outside of London, Southampton tops the list with 476 complaints per 10,000 households. Meanwhile, data reveals Cheltenham as the quietest place in the UK, with 289 complaints received over the last 12 months, equivalent to 67 per 10,000 households.
The best and worst London boroughs for noise pollution
Living a vibrant London life doesn’t necessarily mean one should endure loud neighbours. Here are some of the noisiest areas to avoid in London if you want to get a good night’s sleep.
Westminster – 1,976 complaints per 10,000 households
Islington – 1,519 complaints per 10,000 households
Kensington and Chelsea – 1,486 complaints per 10,000 households
Barking and Dagenham – 1,278 complaints per 10,000 households
Hammersmith and Fulham – 1,221 complaints per 10,000 households
Westminster tops the leaderboard as the noisiest borough in London and has registered a staggering 24,756 noise complaints over the last 12 months, equalling 1,976 complaints per 10,000 households.
As for the calmest areas in London, Harrow, Greenwich and Havering all top the list with figures, over 20 times less the figure than Westminster.
Harrow – 72 complaints per 10,000 households
Greenwich – 74complaints per 10,000 households
Havering– 96 complaints per 10,000 households
Brent – 111 complaints per 10,000 households
Kingston upon Thames – 130 complaints per 10,000 households
What do Brits really think about their neighbours?
While it can feel uncomfortable to complain about neighbours, our survey revealed that more than a third (34%) of respondents across the UK had already complained in the past. London (41%), Bristol (39%) and Manchester (34%) host the highest proportion of people that have made noise complaints.
Of those who did complain, more than half (52%) went directly to their neighbour to resolve the issue, while nearly half (49%) got in touch with the local council. A third (33%) even went as far as reporting their neighbour to the police.
The most common reason for a noise complaint was loud music, accounting for half (50%) of reports in the survey. This was closely followed by loud parties with more than two fifths (43%) of Brits admitting to complaining when their neighbours are hosting a noisy get-together. Raised voices and shouting makes up nearly a third (30%) of all noise complaints across the UK.
What about those that aren’t complaining?
Complaining about a neighbour can feel overwhelming and many may be concerned of the effect it might have on their relationship. According to the data, nearly two thirds (64%) of Brits have never complained about a neighbour, with a quarter (26%) of these admitting that they would never complain about a neighbour, even if the situation arose.
While more than a third (34%) of people wouldn’t complain in fear of creating tension with their neighbour, more than a quarter (26%) of respondents were confused about the complaint process or weren’t aware they were able to. Of these, almost one in 10 (9%) were confused about their rights and more than one in eight (14%) were unsure of the process or how they would go about making a complaint. Perhaps most shocking is that 4% weren’t even aware they were able to make a complaint.
Dealing with neighbour disputes can be challenging. However, more often than not, a conversation can go a long way. But Confused.com's expert guide outlines the steps to take if you want to take things further and make an official complaint.
Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, comments
“It’s no fun living in a noisy neighbourhood, and it seems some areas across the UK are a lot worse for noise pollution than others. And living with noisy neighbours can be really difficult to handle without creating tension.
“More often than not, a friendly conversation goes a long way. But when that fails, where to turn to next can be confusing. We’ve created a guide to understanding basic neighbour etiquette, including how best to handle noisy situations. While calling the police might seem like the best route to take, you should in fact be getting in touch with your local council.”
