Top three loudest noise complaints for past three years
Request received 2 January 2026
Under the FOIA, please could you provide me with the following information?
1. For each of the past three years, please could you tell me what was the loudest noise (in dB) recorded as part of an investigation into, or monitoring relating to, a noise complaint to the council?
2. Please could you also provide a non-identifying location (i.e. street name) and brief description of each of these three episodes (e.g. complaint about excessive dog barking in Soandso street, Suchandsuchtown)?
3. What was the outcome of each of these three noise investigations/actions?
4. How many FPNs have been issued by your council in relation to noise complaints in total for each of the past three calendar years?
Responded 7 January 2026
1.We are unable to provide this information, as we do not always monitor maximum or peak sound levels as part of noise complaint investigations. This information is therefore not held.
We undertake noise complaint assessments via subjective and objective monitoring of the sounds, through officer visits to aurally listen to the sounds, the use of the Noise App (which does not measure decibels), or via the remote noise monitoring equipment with audio recording, where investigations into actual decibel readings are only undertaken if considered a requirement for the case investigation.
We would normally measure and consider the LAeq,T levels when assessing noise impacts, which is not a measurement of the ‘loudest’ decibel level.
2. See above
3. See above
4. One FPN issued in 2024/25 for breach of a community protection notice served for noise disturbance. No decibel recordings taken. Evidence from Noise App recordings.
The Council considers that the requested information falls within the Environmental Information Regulations (“EIR”), which relate to information on activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors of the environment.
In respect of those requests that were answered in full or partially and the total refused please take this as notice under FOIA, that we:
a) Consider the information as exempt from disclosure under the Act;
b) Claim exempt under sections of the Act:
Section 12(4)(a) – Information Not Held
c) State why the exemption applies:
Regulation 12 (4) a public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that (a) it does not hold that information when an applicant’s request is received.