Commercial or industrial premises

If the council finds that a noise nuisance is caused by commercial or industrial premises such as shops or factories, an officer will contact the management informally to advise them of the problem and encourage them to take voluntary action to remedy the problem. If this approach is unsuccessful, an abatement notice will be served to have the noise stopped and prevent any recurrence.

The Public Health Team investigates noise problems from various sources within its district. They also work closely with the Planning Services Department to assess potential noise problems through the planning process and with the Licensing Department to control noise through the Licensing Act 2003.

Report a noise or nuisance complaint in Dorset online

You can now report a noise or nuisance complaint in Dorset with a short online form.

Construction and industrial

The vast majority of complaints in this area relate to construction and demolition sites. The council works closely with construction companies and contractors to minimise disturbance from such sites. Certain processes will involve various noisy activities such as piling, drilling, demolition and vehicle movement.

The council advice for demolition and construction work is that construction work be kept to reasonable hours (depending on the specifics of the project). These hours are:

Monday - Friday 7am - 7pm (for noisy work 8am - 6pm)
Saturday 8am - 1pm (for noisy work 9am - 1pm)
Sunday and Bank Holidays - no works

These times are for guidance only and it does not automatically mean that operating outside these time is illegal. However it does increase the chances of a neighbour being annoyed by such activity and being investigated by environmental health.

The public health team will proactively encourage planning applicants who plan to demolish or construct buildings by sending them an advise leaflet at the early planning stage. It is hoped that the applicant will understand the importance of considering both the nuisance and health & safety implication of their work on local residents.

Pubs and nightclubs

Due to the close proximity of night-time establishments (pubs, night-clubs etc) with residential dwellings, the level of noise can often be a cause of nuisance to local residents. Reasons for this vary from simple factors such as doors and windows being left open to more complex issues relating to the internal music system and the design of the building.

Councils works very closely with night-club and pub owners to ensure that such problems are minimised.

Noise from outdoor events

Each year in Dorset there are number of live outdoor events. If noise levels at these events are left unchecked throughout the day great distress can be caused to local residents. During these events, the council liaises with the organisers and promoters to ensure that codes of practice and guidance relating to noise from outdoor events is adhered to.

Other noise

Other noise sources, which can often be problematic, include noise from air conditioning units, extractor fans, generators, motors and refrigeration units. These units often run at night when the background noise level is considerable lower and people and trying to sleep and can cause a disturbance for some residents.