Skip to main navigation Royal Borough of Greenwich My account Council services menu You are here: Home Community safety and environment Pollution and noise Noise complaints Search this site Search Noise during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic As more and more of us are spending extended time at home during the pandemic we may be more aware of noise from our neighbours who are also home for longer periods and at different times. Whilst the council can taken action against those who repeatedly make unreasonable noise that impacts on their neighbours' enjoyment of their homes, there are some day to day noises that are heard due to people living in close proximity to one another. Examples would include foot steps and noise from washing machines and vacuum cleaners. In these instances it may require more understanding and patience rather than formal action or intervention by the council. Likewise, you should also consider how activities may impact on those around you. Some common examples of noise problems are included below along with some guidance from our Noise Team. DIY noise Some people may choose to complete those DIY tasks that they have been meaning to get around to. Whilst you may enjoy putting your time at home to good use, your neighbours will not enjoy long periods of drilling, sawing or hammering. Be considerate by only carrying out noisy DIY between 9am to 5pm and try to not to use noisy power tools for more than 3 hours a day. Entertainment noise You may want to catch up with your favourite box set or listen to your favourite artists. Be considerate by keeping the volume to a reasonable level that cannot be heard outside your home. It helps to keep the windows closed or use headphones. Construction noise The construction site next door or opposite your home might be finished for the day when you return home from work, but now you're home during the day you might hear the work taking place on the site. Construction work is inherently noisy but as long as the site is managed well, keeps to the hours of 8am to 6pm (for noise generating work), and locates noisy activities as far away from neighbours as is reasonably practicable, they are working within the terms of the law and their planning conditions. Children playing As the schools across London closed on 23 March for an indefinite period, you may hear your neighbour’s children playing or moving about at times when they would usually be at school. If they are asked to stay indoors as part of an isolation strategy they are more likely to be playing and moving around indoors. If you are a parent please do your best to ensure that play activities do not disturb your neighbours. If you are a neighbour hearing children, please understand that this is a difficult time for everyone and children may become restless when forced to stay indoors. This is particularly important advice when you have people living above or below you. How we can help The Council will continue to run a Noise Line Service, but with a reduced response capacity. You can still call to report ongoing noise by calling 0208 921 8921. In many instances you will be offered advice and we will endeavour to resolve the problem by initially contacting the source of the noise in writing. We are risk assessing reports of noise and will prioritise those complaints that are impacting on more than one other neighbouring address. Please note that the Noise response service is currently operating a street-level only assessment service Thursday to Sunday. The hours of the reactive street level assessment service are as follows: Thursday and Sunday 8pm to 1am Friday and Saturday 8pm to 2am We are currently experiencing some problems with our phone lines for this service. If you call is not answered using 020 8921 8921 please try 020 8921 8166 or 8177. Please be assured that we are keeping the service under review. We are now using the Noise App as an additional investigative tool for noise complaints and this will help manage demand during the pandemic. The Noise App simplifies reporting and introduces the ability for users to submit their own recordings. If you have an existing noise complaint, you will be referred to the app following a technical assessment of your case. If you have not submitted a noise complaint, you can still use the app to capture and submit noise recordings, but you should still contact us to raise a noise complaint case by calling 0208 921 8921, or by email pollution-regulation@royalgreenwich.gov.uk To download the app, search for ‘The Noise App’ on Google Play or the Apple App Store. Make a noise complaint Contact Noise team Telephone: 020 8921 8921 Facebook Twitter Instagram Royal Borough of Greenwich Terms and disclaimerAccessibilityStatisticsContactCookies © 2021 Royal Borough of Greenwich The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Woolwich, SE18 6HQ. 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