Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a minimum complaints threshold for investigating noises that could be a statutory nuisance under the Environment Protection Act 1990.

The Noise Policy Statement for England aims to ensure that noise is managed effectively to promote good health and quality of life.

Defra is responsible for the domestic legislation covering statutory nuisance, although the environmental health departments in local authorities are the main enforcers of the statutory noise regime under the Environmental Protection Act, 1990.

No assessment has been made of the merits of introducing a minimum complaints threshold for investigating noises that could be a statutory nuisance.

There are currently no formal thresholds for noise in place. It is not possible to have a single objective noise-based measure which would apply to all situations without giving rise to unintended consequences, for example, restrictions to children’s playgrounds. This is because people react to noise in different ways, and effect levels are likely to vary according to different noise sources and time of day. Defra, therefore, considers decisions are best taken by local authorities using their knowledge of the specific circumstances.