Noise & ASB
If you live in the City Centre and hear noise that prevents you from sleeping, watching television at normal volume, reading, etc. then you may be experiencing a “statutory nuisance”
For our advice on how to report this - See below
Take Care on Wi-Fi in our City Centre
Sheffield BID, Sheffield City Council and Idaq Networks Ltd have provided free high-speed Wi-Fi in Sheffield city centre. Sheffield Free Wi-Fi and other networks such as those in coffee shops are available free of charge.
However, remember there can be security issues in any free Wi-Fi network, as you can find out in this bulletin from South Yorkshire Police. Click HERE for the vital information about Do's and Dont's when surfing on some free systems.
Complaints about Noise from Licenced Premises
It helps to find the terms of the premises licence. This can usually be found at - https://licensing.sheffield.gov.uk/1/LicensingActPremises/Search/ - but be prepared to have a few attempts using different address details, as it doesn’t always respond to the data inserted into the search facility.
1. Regarding NOISE - there may be conditions on the licence that music shall only be played at certain times or at background level, and doors and windows shall be kept closed. The licence should cover all floors.
2. Under the Licensing Act 2003, the licence holder must ensure that activities at the premises do not give rise to public nuisance. If the Council’s Environmental Protection staff have evidence that the licensed premises are not being effectively controlled, the premises licence can be reviewed and additional control measures imposed. In extreme cases the premises licence can be revoked.
3. The planning permission may also require that music shall be limited to certain times and/or background noise level.
4. Notwithstanding the premise licence or planning permission, Environmental Protection can take legal action against anyone who causes a “statutory nuisance”.
5. For noise to be a statutory nuisance it must interfere with your enjoyment of your home. Examples are noise that prevents you from sleeping, watching television at normal volume, reading, etc.
6. On some licences or planning permissions sound attenuation or volume control may be specified. These conditions can also include keeping doors and windows closed.
7. Environmental Protection Department procedure is as follows: In deciding if a noise nuisance exists, they must consider how loud the noise is as well as how long it goes on for and how often it occurs. To help them assess this, they ask residents to complete log sheets, see attached. Your log will help to build a picture of how the noise affects you. This information will also indicate when the best time would be for them to visit to witness the problem.
8. They also have a reactive Night Time Enforcement Team who can respond to complaints. Our advice is to make email contact with one of the officers below, inform him/her of the problem and say you will complete the Log Sheet.
9. The log sheet is below on page 3.
Any urgent matters should be referred to eps.admin@sheffield.gov.uk - Staff involved at March 2023 includes:
Lucy Robson
Environmental Protection Officer
Sheffield City Council
Environmental Protection Service
5th Floor (North)
Howden House
1 Union Street
Sheffield
S1 2SH email Lucy Robson Lucy.Robson@sheffield.gov.uk
Also:
Neal Pates
Environmental Protection Officer
EPS: Commercial Team
Sheffield City Council
Tel: (0114) 273 4651
Email: Neal.Pates@sheffield.gov.uk
Regarding nuisance and these SCC contacts, the best course of action is for the residents who complain to
a. Keep log-sheets.
b. Be referred to the Night Time Enforcement Team once the complaints reach a certain level.
c. It may seem reactive, but it is their procedure is to collate evidence and visit to witness a nuisance.
d. Then an abatement notice can be served. Should that abatement notice be breached, and witnessed, then an offence has been caused.
e. They then have the evidence required to take legal action if required.
Licensing Terms and Conditions are online at https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/business/licences-permits-registrations/about-licences
If there is a clear breach of licensing conditions contact the following:
Contact details:
licensingservice@sheffield.gov.uk
Georgina Hollis
Team Leader, Licensing (Hub)
Operational Services
114 273 4264
Our experience at ChangingSheff is that making contact with one of the Environmental Protection Officers, then following the Log Sheet Procedure to report disruption from the premises, makes a big difference.
If you have any problems, please let us know. And if this process works to solve your problem, please also let us know.
ChangingSheff
www.ChangingSheff.org
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email: Hello@ChangingSheff.org
ChangingSheff is the residents’ association for 27,000 people living in the city centre