Nuisance and Pollution

Nuisance mainly refers to disturbances from neighbours which reduce your quality of life. Common disturbances include noise (for example that caused by loud music, use of DIY tools, barking dogs etc), smoke from bonfires, large amounts of dust and unwelcome odours. If you are suffering from the actions of a troublesome neighbour the first step is to try to sort the matter out amicably. If matters cannot be settled easily you may have to resort to legal action.

Pollution covers a range of ways in which your environment can be contaminated by harmful substances. For the individual the main causes for concern are air quality, litter and dog fouling, noise pollution, soil contamination and water issues. Many local authority websites offer advice on problems with neighbours and pollution issues. In addition there are a number of general sources of advice available.

Neighbours from Hell is a comprehensive site dealing with most nuisance issues. It is available to support you if you suffer from neighbour troubles. There is a range of articles, interviews, information on legislation and forums for discussing your problems.

The Citizen Advice Bureau has a section on common neighbour disputes and how to solve them under their housing topic.

Age Concern produce a factsheet (currently No.9) for the over-60s about noise nuisance and how to deal with it. A version is also available for Scottish residents.

Direct Gov provide advice about neighbour disputes, anti-social behaviour and pollution issues under its 'safe communities' topic.

DEFRA offers comprehensive advice about many aspects of environmental pollution.

Health and Safety Executive consider the consequences of exposure to noise pollution.

National Society for Clean Air is a long established charity working in environmental protection. Their site has a wealth of information about environmental pollution topics such as air quality, neighbour nuisance, noise, bonfires, fireworks, aircraft pollution and land quality.