Cambridge City council has prosecuted three noisy neighbours for causing noise nuisance in their respective communities.
Mr Ben Thornton from Abbey was found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice in a case presented at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court. Noise abatement notices legally require the recipient to take immediate action to reduce the noise levels.
Mr Thornton was fined £2256 including costs and victim surcharge, and his stereo equipment was seized and will be disposed of by the council.
During a period of three years, the council had received complaints of loud music coming from the property and on a number of occasions attempted to engage with Mr Thornton to reach a resolution. Over the course of that time, the council seized stereo equipment on 5 different occasions.
Despite the interventions, the noise disturbances continued. The council applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which the court granted. A CBO is issued when a perpetrator fails to change their behaviour following prosecution and therefore a stronger method of enforcement is required should the issues persist. If the perpetrator is to continue to engage in the same actions, then the failure to comply with the order can result in an unlimited fine or 5 years in prison.
Ms Maria Casciaro from Arbury, who had also been served a noise abatement notice was found guilty of breaching the notice, at a case presented at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court.
The council had received complaints of Ms Casciaro leaving their car engine running unnecessarily on the driveway for prolonged periods of time, including late at night. Ms Casciaro was sentenced to a twenty-four-month conditional discharge and was fined £826 including costs and victim surcharge.
Ms Joanne Hartshorn from Trumpington was also found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice on multiple occasions, causing disturbances to neighbours by playing loud music. This case was presented at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court.
Ms Hartshorn was fined £1280 including costs and victim surcharge. Stereo equipment was seized and will be disposed of by the council.
Cllr Rosy Moore, Executive Councillor for Climate Action and Environment said, “Everyone deserves to live in a community where neighbours are respectful and considerate towards each other.
“Living with constant noise nuisance can be intolerable and the impact it has on others is awful. I encourage residents to think carefully about how their actions might impact those around them – no one wants to live in an environment where there is tension and disputes.
“If residents don’t feel comfortable talking to their neighbours that are causing the issues, or if there are no improvements after attempting to talk to them, then it is important that reports are made to the council. The council can mediate and where necessary take action to stop it.”
If you are troubled by a noise nuisance you may wish to speak to your neighbour if you feel safe to do so. If not, you are encouraged to report noise nuisance on the council website.
