The owners of "several cockerels" that have been said to crow "every 15 seconds" have been served with a noise abatement notice after complaints from neighbours. A council received a noise complaint about "a number of cockerels crowing" at a property.
Environmental health officers went to speak to the owners, Sharon and Morgan Ross. That led to a reduction in the noise initally.
But this was short-lived, the council said, and the complaints began again. That led to noise-monitoring equipment being used to record the levels and frequency of the sounds coming from the property.
One neighbour told Lincolnshire Live. that the cockerels were crowing "every 15 seconds" - but another said it was to be expected in such a rural location. Council data showed the frequency of the crowing was excessive, with high numbers of crowing events across the day, which significantly impacted the neighbours' enjoyment of their property.
The authority, Boston Borough Council, having established a statutory nuisance was being caused, was required by law to serve abatement notices on the cockerel owners at Wyberton West Road to stop the noise within 21 days.
The owners took their appeal against the abatement notices to Lincoln Magistrates' Court on January 30, but the notices were upheld and the council was awarded costs of £1,984.84. The council said it understood the number of cockerels at the property had been reduced and there were currently no issues.
If in future the noise abatement notices are breached, the owners could face a fine of up to £5,000 on conviction. Lincolnshire Live visited the address and left a note at the owners' property. The street where they live has a small number of properties opposite a field with mooing cows.
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There is a working farm and neighbours described hearing the sounds of owls at night. On the visit, Lincolnshire Live heard the crow of a cockerel, which residents said came from a bird that was dumped at a nearby property some years ago and was living wild. Jayne Wilde, 55, said she had not had any issues with the cockerels at all.
She said: "We hear the cockerels but we live in a rural location. We've had chickens too. The cows in the field are noisier."
One man, who asked not to be named, said the cockerels were a nuisance. He said: "Last year when it was hot we would sit in the shade of a tree in the garden and you could hear the crowing.
"I timed it and they were crowing about every 15 seconds. It would start early in the morning and went on all day. The couple moved in in early 2022 but I think the chickens and the cockerels were moved in beforehand. I have not heard anything for about two weeks now."
Another resident said: "We live in the countryside, what do you expect? There's cows across the road, traffic coming and going to the farm, and owls hooting at night. I'm so sorry to hear about the action taken against this couple - they are lovely."
Councillor Deborah Evans, the councils' portfolio holder for environmental services, said: "Boston Borough Council takes complaints over all types of noise nuisance seriously. Officers follow an enforcement policy where they try to work with people to negotiate a resolution, wherever possible, before resorting to more formal actions.
"Formal action through an abatement notice is in most circumstances a last resort. The council is however duty bound to serve a noise abatement notice when there is sufficient evidence that a statutory noise nuisance exists. The decision by the court shows the council was correct in its actions in serving the abatement notices to protect members of the community who were affected by the excessive noise coming from the property.
"It is encouraging to see that the noise issue has reduced since the service of the notices and the recent court hearing. We all hope this improvement is a permanent one.''
