Noise nuisance diary

If you want us to deal with your complaint we will require you to complete a nuisance diary. This information is essential to gain sufficient evidence for us to investigate your complaint. If you have difficulty completing the diary or if you are disturbed frequently over several days please contact us for further advice.

If the evidence obtained shows there is a likelihood that a statutory nuisance may exist, your nuisance diary will be used to support any action taken by this Department. It is, therefore, essential that the information which you record is accurate and written at the time of the noise or shortly after.

Once you have returned your diary an Officer will contact you to discuss the case. Please continue to record any incidents of noise after you have returned the initial diaries to us as this is an on-going record and needs to be maintained throughout our investigations.

If you do not return your nuisance diary we will not be able to progress your complaint or take any further action.

Notes to help you complete the noise nuisance diary

1. Be clear and precise. Remember, you could be asked to give evidence in court based on your notes. 
2. Be sure of the source of the nuisance. Don’t guess at the address. If in doubt, draw a sketch. 
3. Give the period of nuisance. Fill in both columns – time nuisance started and time nuisance ended. This could be essential in assessing the degree of the problem. 
4. Type of nuisance. Give as much information as possible to describe the nuisance. Noise – type of noise, for example loud music, barking dog, fan noise. Also give an assessment of the loudness on each occasion. 
5. Scale of annoyance. Try to give an assessment of each recording by giving a number from the following scale: 
   1. Not annoying 
   2. Slightly annoying 
   3. Annoying 
   4. Extremely annoying.
6. Effects of nuisance. Try to indicate how the nuisance affects you or its effect on your way of life. Remember to be as accurate as you can. Exaggerating will not help the case in the long term. 
7. If you are away for a period of time and can’t make notes for example if you go on holiday or you work away, indicate the reason for the gap on the form and include dates. 
8. Please complete the nuisance diary for at least 14 days and return it to: Department of Health and Wellbeing, Environmental Health, Britannia House, Bradford, BD1 1HX.