When you Should Contact your Local Environmental Health Department
If you have already read a number of articles contained on this website, you will have begun to realise that your local authority’s environmental health department covers a vast remit and they often your first port of call if you are experiencing problems with your neighbours or within the community as a whole.
It can be far quicker to obtain a resolution if you contact your environmental health department first as opposed to calling the police when dealing with many neighbourhood issues. In fact, in most instances, even if you call the police, they might refer you back to the environmental health department first. Here are the many issues that the environmental health department would deal with:
Air Quality
If your enjoyment of your own property is being affected by a Neighbour’s Bonfire or barbecue or if an industrial chimney is causing a problem.Contaminated Land
Where you suspect that chemicals or associated materials have polluted either a water supply or have contaminated land.Dangerous Dogs
If you have a problem with a Dangerous Or Nuisance Dog in your area or you have been attacked or been threatened by an attack from a dog. You’d also contact the department if you're concerned about persistent dog fouling outside your house or on local parks.Food Standards
If you are concerned about the hygiene of a particular business which is manufacturing and/or selling food or drink to the public, or you have suffered a health problem as a result of eating suspected contaminated food.Noise Levels
If you are suffering from the effects of Excessive Noise as the result of a neighbour’s party, loud music, a nearby factory or some other kind of business which is generating excessive noise or if you have an Incessantly Barking Dog in the neighbourhood.Pest Control
If your own home or a nearby property has been plagued by pests which could be anything from a wasps’ nest to rodent control.Flytipping
If flytipping has occurred on your street or if you suspect a neighbour to be guilty of flytipping elsewhere.Graffiti and Flyposting
If graffiti or flyposting is happening in your area, your environmental health department will also deal with this.Litter
If a neighbour is guilty of not disposing of their household waste correctly, or if you are experiencing a lot of litter on your property or street as the result of a business nearby.Of course, in many of these instances, the problem can often be resolved by speaking to the relevant neighbour or nearby business first. However, if you’re unable to obtain a satisfactory resolution to a particular problem from the person(s) involved, or you don’t know who might be responsible for causing the problem, then all of the above fall under the jurisdiction of your local authority’s environmental health department. They have the powers and the weight of the law behind them to begin an investigation and to enforce a resolution, be that through the courts, if necessary.
You might also like...
Comments...
Our local community centre have built a skate park (ramps and I think they call it a grinder) without permission or consultation at the bottom of our garden. The noise from the ramps and children shouting has made our garden unusable. Is there anything we can do?
Lin - 28 January 2012 @ 11:43 AM
My neighbours park in front of their house (on paved over front garden) an enormous motor home. The vehicle is as tall as our bungalow and obstructs our view from the main front window. They agreed to park in elsewhere when not "in season" but it virtually never moves. Can we do anything about this eyesore which is spoiling this otherwise idylic spot in Guisborough, North Yorkshire.
Songplayer - 17 November 2011 @ 8:37 AM
This is the second time we have been told there are rats in the neighbours garden.My side is all decking and is not very big,it looks like they are coming from the other side under our decking and burrowing up into the neighbours garden?We live in a terrace.I rang the council last time and they came out to put poision down but they did say it would not stop unless the neighbour got rid of the dog poo and food that is left out at night and is also stored in their shed.I have a 3year old,what can i do?
deli - 5 November 2011 @ 9:17 PM
Very concerned about the ammount of food that my neighbours are throwing in their back yard on a daily basis to feed the birds some of it is ending up in my back garden whole slices of bread sometimes aswell as other scraps of food. It's causing alot of problems I'm getting bird poo on my washing when I put it outside it's on my windows, my plants had to cut some bushes out my garden as they were covered in pidgeon poo and my grand children play out there but my main concern is this will attract rats!! Also there's not just scraps of food all over their yard but dog poo ( from 3 dogs) its discusting especially on a warm day with the smell. Should I report this to the local council environmental health department?
Tracey - 3 October 2011 @ 5:59 PM
My neighbour has a wasp nest in the loft and is doing nothing about it and we are having to keep our windows upstairs shut or they come in so what are my rights?
mad dog - 28 September 2011 @ 8:09 PM
We have a clean nice garden but my husband has seen a rat twice we have a small puppy and I'm worried about him going outside there are two houses vacant close by could it have come from there, can you give me advice how to get rid of it or who I should contact please?
nannysandy - 25 September 2011 @ 11:11 AM
i live along the a143 at stanton nr bury st edmonds oppisit a hand car wash there is no hot water or wash room no toilets and every one walks down in front of my house and pee and poo in the bush 10 plus times a day every day and about 6 or 7 people and house flies land on their poo and come in my window and walk all over my work tops where i make my food. how sick is that someone will be very ill soon mark my words
buxton - 30 July 2011 @ 9:57 AM
My neighbours garden is extremly overgrown and although we have mentioned it to him he takes no notice and actually seems to think it's a joke and he seems quite proud of the fact that his garden is a mess, he lets his dog go to the toilet in the garden and when its a nice sunny day you can now actually smell the feaces, he never clears it up. Does anyone have any idea if there is anything we can do about this?
polly - 17 July 2011 @ 7:51 PM
Hi I live in kelloe co durham with 2 children ( one at 11 months and one at 12yrs old ) I have a wasps nest out side my front door phoned the council they want £37 odd to remove it can't afford this what do I do.thanks
Patrick - 21 June 2011 @ 11:34 AM
Our Close has a communal garage area, and other users often block access to ours, as most of them only use theirs for storage, so think it's a good parking place. One in particular is too lazy to park anywhere else, and though we've explained to him how much it inconveniences us, he still does it. We've also had trouble with him in other areas.
harassed - 5 June 2011 @ 10:44 AM
Hello, we moved here (to a tenement block of flats) in March this year and our upstairs neighbours are very noisy EVERY night especially, with gatherings, loud tv/music and sounding like drunken behaviour. We did report this to our housing officer because we are council tennents(on her new tennant visit a week after we moved in) but she stated she has no problems with anyone in this building and has been of no help. She has also said that if we want her to investigate she will have to speak to everybody in the building!! We are not wanting that and have created a detailed diary of events and fear reprisals should we take action. There is already tension due to other problems (we didn't get a wheelie bin until last week!! Forced to keep bags in kitchen) and we have had one of our windows smashed. Our young children have been woken up/kept awake by thier disruptive behaviour. It is especialy bad around 7 onwards and they have a young child (around 2 or 3) who is awake most nights until 10/11pm. At our wits end here with no prospect of things improving, can anybody help? We are in Scotland. Is Scottish law different in terms of Anti social behaviour and noise pollution?
veryfeduphere - 4 June 2011 @ 9:02 PM
My neighbour has Altzheimer's and OCD.She wakes me several times a night banging doors (24 bangs at a time) and rambling/whooping/ talking to people who are not there.She is also deaf so does not hear the noises she makes.I have been keeping a diary for a month and wrote to her family detailing how her behaviour affects me in a non-judgemental way.Her daughter came round a few days later and asked for details.She was very reasonable and quite shocked at what had been happening. After that the family took the worst offending door off its hinges and called every night to make sure she took her sleeping tablet, and for 4 nights things were much improved.Now, however, they seem to have got fed up with the necessary level of committment and do not call so often or as late and she has gone back to her old behaviours. I feel badly let down by them and I cannot cope with the lack of sleep any longer.What do you suggest?
Jenni - 2 June 2011 @ 1:42 PM
My neighbours Rottweiler is kept in their back garden for much of the day and because it is bored has started to dig under our adjoining fence. As a parent of young children I am concerned that the dog might escape and pose a danger to them and other children in the street. Asking my neighbours to repair the damage is unlikely to result in any help. From a legal point of view what can be done to recover the costs of repairing the fence/ground?
James - 25 May 2011 @ 12:06 PM
My neighbour is accusing me of my cats messing in their garden and are threatening to throw it back in my garden, can they do this? I do provide a litter tray and big sand pit outside in my garden for my cats to use and as I am aware they do use this.
leah - 20 May 2011 @ 11:11 AM
Title:
(never shown)
Firstname:
(never shown)
Surname:
(never shown)
Email:
(never shown)
Nickname:
(shown)
Comment:
Validate:
Enter word:
