3,000 complaints in three years about noise in city

City residents have lodged thousands of complaints about noise over the past three years but fewer than 100 enforcement notices have been issued, according to new figures.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Southend-on-Sea City Council found it had received 3,323 complaints between 2023 and 2025, but only 86 led to an abatement notice, a legal order requiring someone to stop or reduce noise.

Loud music, barking dogs, building work and public events had triggered complaints, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Martin Terry, a councillor with a responsibility for community safety, said: "We [the city council] will always take formal action where the legal threshold is met."

"Noise complaints cover a wide range of issues, and our approach is always to resolve problems in the most effective and proportionate way," said Terry, an Independent councillor.

"We operate an 'educate first' approach, where officers speak with the individuals involved, explain the impact of the noise and provide advice on how to prevent further disturbance.

"Most people modify their behaviour once this conversation or written warning takes place."

He said enforcement was reserved for "repeat or persistent offenders who fail to change their behaviour despite earlier warnings."

Local authorities must look into complaints about noise that could be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The FoI found most of the city council's enforcement action was taken by its regulatory services team.

It issued 16 notices in 2023, 36 in 2024, and 34 in 2025.

The council's community safety unit, which deals with behavioural noise and neighbour disputes, recorded 758 complaints over the three years, but issued only one warning and took no prosecutions or formal enforcement action.

The council said some cases classified as "noise" may involve wider antisocial behaviour.

It advises residents to report noise issues online and keep detailed logs of incidents.

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