Ordsall has been named as the most raucous ward in Salford after data shows the area had the most noise complaints each year since 2019. Last year the Ordsall ward saw 136 noise complaints, 115 in 2020 and 80 in 2019.
Salford City Council believe that more people working from home could be a reason for more noise complaints being reported to them. Since 2019 the number of complaints has risen each year, with 902 reported in 2019, 1234 in 2020 and 1401 in 2021.
The information was provided following a Freedom of Information request made by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Read more: Leigh Cricket Club granted licence for summer festival deemed 'a step too far' by neighbours
More people working from home has been cited as the reason for the increase in complaints as people are more likely to notice the nuisance. The Covid pandemic also led to everyone being housebound for a large portion of 2020.
A spokesperson for Salford City Council said: “Noise complaints may have increased over the last two years as more people have been working from home. The council has legal powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to investigate excessive or unreasonable noise from residential, commercial or industrial premises such as machinery, loud music from pubs and clubs or barking dogs.
“We advise people, if they can, to speak to the person or business causing the problem as they may be unaware of the impact.
"If that doesn’t work, then we would ask people to download our diary sheets and record the date, time and nature of the noise over a full 14 days. These diary sheets are crucial to our understanding of the situation and decisions on whether further action is required. If the matter goes to court, they would be used as evidence.”
Here is a list of the top five noisiest wards in Salford each year:
2019:
- Ordsall - 80
- Weaste and Seedley - 74
- Broughton - 53
- Pendleton and Charlestown - 49
- Claremont - 44
2020:
- Ordsall - 115
- Weaste and Seedley - 98
- Eccles, Pendleton and Charlestown - both 66
- Broughton - 62
- Quays - 57
2021:
- Ordsall - 136
- Weaste and Seedley - 109
- Blackfriars and Trinity - 101
- Quays - 80
- Broughton - 70
People can be taken to court and have items seized over noise complaints. This is something the council has said they take very seriously and are working to try and address this increase in reports.
“If the noise is confirmed as a statutory nuisance - i.e. something that has a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of those affected – the council would serve an abatement notice,” a Salford City Council spokeswoman continued. “This requires the person/organisation making the noise to either take measures such as repairing noisy machinery, changing hours or work to reduce the noise or stop their activities altogether (such as playing loud music in the early hours) and they can be fined if they breach this notice.
“Noise is an issue we take seriously and the council has used its powers in the past to seize music equipment and take people to court for breaching abatement notices.”
