Civil Litigation Solicitors

No You Cock-a-Doodle Don’t



Noise nuisance is regrettably an increasing feature of modern life, but one normally expects problems with noise to be associated with city living, not the countryside. Recently, however, a man from Shepton Mallet in Somerset was given an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £7,500 after he defied a noise abatement order. The cause? – his flock of 80 chickens, which was the cause of a sustained series of complaints about noise from his neighbours.



On a test visit in 2006, investigations carried out by an independent environmental health officer, sent by South Somerset Council, recorded 800 ‘crowings’ between 5 am and 7 am. Neighbours also complained of the smell caused by the birds. An order was made requiring the man to eliminate the nuisance to his neighbours, but he failed to comply with it.



The magistrates were unimpressed with the man’s lack of cooperation and issued the ASBO. They also banned him from replacing the chickens with other animals.



Problem neighbours can be the blight of anyone’s life and the ASBO legislation does at least provide one possible method of reducing or eliminating problems of anti-social behaviour. If you have problems with noisy or anti-social neighbours, or problems arising from late-night noise due to pubs or clubs, we can advise you on the best course of action to take.





Partner Note

Reported in The Guardian, 16 April 2008.



The Noise Act was amended by the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, part 7. See

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ukpga_20050016_en_1.