Welcome to the Digital Spy forums. We could take no more so we sold up and moved, it took us a year to sell. The landlord advised that it saw insufficient grounds to escalate the complaint to the final stage as there was no further investigation that c, be carried out and escalation was unlikely. Hounslow London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Hounslow in Greater London, England. Search for trees to find which department to contact. He expressed frustration with the landlords response and felt that, 13 March 2020 to advise that it had not raised, complaint at stage one of its complaints procedure, referred the matter to a staff member to attempt to resolve. Chapter 9 of High hedges complaints: prevention and cure gives detailed guidance on enforcing remedial notices. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hounslow, and is identified in the London Plan as one of the 12 metropolitan centres in Greater London. If your neighbour says your tree is dangerous, you could ask a tree surgeon for advice. Bare in mind that just because you find a noise or habit irritating, it does not mean your neighbour is causing a statutory nuisance. For example, chapters 4 and 5 of this guide give detailed advice about what councils look at when they make decisions on complaints. To help you test the strength of your case, it also might be worth reading High hedges complaints: prevention and cure. But a hedge with gaps at more than 2 metres above ground level that significantly affect its overall effect as a barrier to light or access is not a high hedge and, therefore, you cannot complain to the council about such hedges under this procedure. COMPLAINT 202001964 Hounslow Council 25 January 2021 Our approach The Housing Ombudsman's approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. The document detailed the reasons for the referral as due to allegations of anti-social behaviour from residents. It is clear that the resident started complaining to the landlord as early as March 2020. Call Out of hours emergency on 020 8583 2222. Think carefully about the reasons for your complaint. The council have to weigh up all relevant information before reaching a fair and balanced decision. Here is a summary of privacy when using this chat. The STANDS4 Network. Before referral to court the HO must undertake an assessment to establish whether the possible outcome of any court action would affect the health and safety of any person in line with the Equality Act. There were also instances of it not providing updates when promised. . Email Customer Services on customerservice@hounslow.gov.uk, Call Out of hours emergency on 020 8583 2222. So can your neighbour. A statutory nuisance is a legal term and covers significant or unreasonable noise which stops you enjoying your property. Hounslow schools and libraries have announced plans to celebrate the Coronation through a series of free events and activities across the borough. The landlord issued its stage one complaint response to the resident on 16, August 2019 and 12 March 2020 to observe the noise level. Despite the resident expressing dissatisfaction with its service on further occasions, the landlord only logged a complaint in April 2021. The resident said the issues had gone on for years. It advised that, as there was no evidence of noise nuisance, it could not take any further action. Make a complaint or comment. The resident emailed the landlord later on 16 April 2020 to convey his dissatisfaction with its response, highlighting that the wording implied he had. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. with her how she could minimise any noise generated. Meaning of Hounslow. Whilst it is acknowledged that the landlord must adhere to rules when sharing personal data from one party to another, it is reasonable to expect the landlord to manage the residents expectations about what action it was taking to tackle the issues and provide regular reports of its progress. It advised of the contact details for the Councils Enforcement team who it said were available depending on the type of nuisance. It acknowledged that the issues raised about the alleged nuisance from the neighbour were still ongoing however it had responded to the matters raised in accordance with its policies. The officer will also get other facts that they need to help them decide your complaint. Further, that other neighbours said the noise was mainly in the evening and usually stopped at around 9 pm. Wed like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. The complaint was logged with the Housing Officer in August 2020. There was a referral in October 2020 in respect of the neighbour to the appropriate agency, however there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate that. On 30 April 2021, the landlord assessed whether it was proportionate to escalate the action it was taking against the neighbour taking into account his vulnerabilities. for the installation of noise recording equipment in the residents property to confirm and identify the noise reported and take appropriate follow-on actions. Numerous emails were exchanged and multiple visits to, the property were carried by the landlord between 31 July 2019 and 10, that it had spoken to the neighbour about the noise concerns and. They might ask the owner to make it safe or deal with it themselves. an agenda or that he was making up this complaint. On 14 April 2020, the resident requested an update from the landlord. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. Registered number 01436945 England Registered office: Citizens Advice, 3rd Floor North, 200 Aldersgate, London, EC1A 4HD, If you disagree with your neighbour about a tree or hedge. If the hedge is on a bank or in a raised bed the measurement should be taken from the natural ground level. This inevitably caused the resident distress as they were concerned about the possible consequences of some of the neighbours actions although it did advise him to contact the local authoritys Enforcement team in event he felt in danger. and it did not explain why it had not logged an ASB complaint prior to August 2020. pay the resident total compensation of 600. Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman and this has been carefully considered. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was no maladministration by the landlord in its response to the residents reports of noise nuisance. The Housing Ombudsmans approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. If youd like to join in, please sign in or register. Complaints about pay rise for councillors. If youre having trouble writing the complaint, a relative or friend or Citizens Advice may be able to help. But the legislation doesnt allow councils to deal with every problem that might be caused by hedges. Hounslow Council was the subject of more than 100 complaints and enquiries to the ombudsman about its actions last year, new figures show. He said that the landlord had provided incorrect details of when he contacted the HO He said he contacted them in 2018 and not 2020. It also told the resident it would investigate his reports. In conclusion, the landlord made, and continued to make, reasonable efforts to evidence the noise reports made by the resident and took reasonable action to resolve the matter by initiating mediation between the parties. But you can still try to settle your dispute by following the steps in Over the garden hedge. Generally if the noise is loud and occurs often - especially at night - it can be considered unreasonable. The police came round a couple of times (he posted a note through our door making threats), we kept the diary. Login . However, there is a lack of evidence to show the landlord followed up on the actions identified at this stage. I gave up with the authorities. This means your noisy neighbour must stop making the noise or face legal action. On receiving the residents report on 6 March 2020, the landlord interviewed the resident and asked him to complete incident diary sheets. When councils are determining a complaint they must first decide whether the height of the high hedge is having an adverse effect on a neighbours enjoyment of their home and/or its garden or yard. subsequently interviewed the resident on 11 March 2020 however this service has not been provided with any notes of this meeting. The request was for the neighbour to be transferred to alternative accommodation which might work better for the neighbour. . If youre worried because you havent heard anything, you can contact the council to check progress. It said it would provide an update as soon as possible. the steps youve taken to try to settle the dispute, the problems that you are having in your home and/or its garden or yard because the hedge is too tall, how you think the hedge is adversely affecting the reasonable enjoyment of this property, take any action that could result in the hedges death or destruction, trim the hedge to a height less than 2 metres above ground level. 150 for its service failures when handling his complaints. The needs of residents are our top priority and we pride ourselves in delivering quality services in the most effective and efficient way possible. I feel very unwell from the lack of sleep. The hedge must be on land owned or occupied by someone else. The Ombudsman recommends that the landlord provide regular updates to res, Videos on managing unacceptable behaviour. Is the hedge (or the part of it thats causing problems) a high hedge? If you still cant agree, you can get help from a mediator - this is someone who doesnt know either of you and is trained to help people resolve disagreements. Thank you, your feedback has been submitted. Before you cut a tree, check if its protected by a Tree Preservation Order. It is a suburban development situated 10.6 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. More information on the cookies we set can be found in our cookie policy. As such, there was no maladministration in the way the landlord responded to the residents reports of noise nuisance. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. It said if issues continued and legal action was required, it would require such evidence to support the legal case. Grade 1 cases include damage to property. They must also think about effects on the neighbourhood. Ask them to keep their dog inside at night or to impose a curfew for their child's drum practice. We used to go to work shattered. The landlords internal file note dated 9 June 2020 show its ASB officer interviewed the residents neighbour about noise and ASB reports raised by the resident. It is always better if neighbours can resolve their problems informally, and many noise (and other) problems can be resolved this way. A report by Hounslow Council's Standards Sub-committee, which was due to be published as the paper went to press this week, is believed to be highly critical of Councillor Mohinder Gill. Read what we're saying about a range of issues. Are you the owner or occupier of this domestic property? Any reference to these events is for context only. Neither did it respond to the residents request for an update on 14 April 2020 or to his further report made on 14 May 2020 of loud music and banging early in the morning. Please do not post any personal information relating to yourself, or employees of Hounslow Council as these comments will not be approved. the landlord took the other steps identified in its action plan at the time. It did engage, after an incident involving the police and Fire brigade, owever at times there was little or no progression of the action plan despite on going reports from the resident. Before approaching your council you should always try to compromise with your neighbours. Serves them right, even though they could not sleep, they were all too limp to report someone they feared. If he's a little bloke, kick his head in and stick his hi-fi up his arse if he's massive, just ask nicely Rather than start a campaign against them which will most likely lead to, http://www.hounslow.gov.uk/index/environment_and_planning/environmental_health/noisenuisance/noise_nuisance_reporting.htm, https://www.gov.uk/how-to-resolve-neighbour-disputes/complain-about-noise-to-the-council, http://www.problemneighbours.co.uk/neighbourissuescategory.html. As no significant noise was heard, they agreed to exchange telephone numbers to communicate about any future noise concerns. Collecting written evidence from you and your neighbour and visiting the site will make sure that the council have the information they need to make the right decision. During the joint meetings that it had with the relevant agencies at the end of March and in April 2021, one of the actions identified was for the landlords HO to visit the neighbour to advise him of tenancy conditions; this happened on 30 April. On 29 April 2021, the landlord provided a stage one response. The landlord advised the resident on the same date that the neighbours care worker had confirmed that his neighbour had been taken to hospital that morning for treatment. The resident asserted that the noise persisted, and the landlord had not offered a solution to the issue; therefore, he requested that it escalate the complaint. Moreover, the landlords updates were invariably advice that its investigations were ongoing. This and the lack of detail and explanation given in its responses was unreasonable and evidence of poor complaint handling. In her report she says the Council did not take a homelessness application from him as it should have done because it considered he was not 'in priority need'. As the landlord found no actionable evidence of noise issues, it stated that mediation was the best option to resolve matter. If the hedge includes protected trees, you might need to get separate permission from the council for trimming overhanging branches. That may include the date and time of the incident and how it affected them. The council should determine your complaint impartially. The resident is a leaseholder. The right hedge can be an ideal garden boundary but the wrong hedge may bring problems. Further, despite the resident reporting further instances of loud music, hammering and banging over the subsequent two weeks, there is no evidence to show the landlord acted on these reports. Videos on managing unacceptable behaviour. The council can do no more than issue a remedial notice ordering your neighbour to reduce the hedge to a height that will put the problems right and stop them happening again. , and in accordance with its ASB policy, above at point 2, for it to take this action to resolve the issue in the absence of evidence to support the noise reports. Initial complaints should be directed to Hounslow Council directly. a barrier to light or access (even if there are gaps)? If they are failing to respond to your complaint then go along to the next surgery of your local M.P. It kept happening and he was going around in circles. The resident made noise and ASB reports regarding his neighbour to the landlord between March and November 2018. He said he would like to raise the matter as a complaint and copied in the complaints team. that there was a burning smell coming from his neighbours property two days earlier. Police say this cannabis factory discovered in Knowle contained 80 plants. If that doesn't work there are other ways you can ask them to stop, for example by reporting them to the council. It reiterated that he should continue to complete diary sheets and send them to his Housing Officer (HO). Inquire from the landlord or other neighbors about the details of a recent complaint about your behavior. They concluded at this time that there may not be a case to investigate or keep open any longer but said they would write to. The numerical value of Hounslow in Chaldean Numerology is: 6, The numerical value of Hounslow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1. Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. Well send you a link to a feedback form. These were reasonable efforts made by it to witness the noise reports he made. Whichever way you make the complaint this is your chance to set out your case, so its important that you give the right information. Definitions.net. You have rejected additional cookies. The landlord emailed the resident on 21 April 2020 to acknowledge his request to escalate the complaint and replied to his points as follows: It disagreed that its response implied that the residents complaint was malicious; it asserted that it had found no fault with its approach to this case. NEIGHBOURLY disputes are not uncommon, with many of us struggling to agree with those living next door. Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman and this has been carefully considered. The complaints responses did not sufficien, detail its investigation into the handling of the issues raised. Housing Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour Speak Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people having problems getting the council to deal with anti-social behaviour near their homes and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. The landlord noted that, on its visit to the property on 24 February 2020, the resident. Please see Over the garden hedge for information on the steps you should think about taking before you complain to the council. Hounslow is the principal town in the London Borough of Hounslow. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. The landlords internal notes show it contacted Adult Mental health team who confirmed which team the resident was under the care of. The landlords file notes confirm it had a joint meeting with the relevant support teams on 24 March 2021 to discuss this case and what action to take going forward. This also states that if. We use cookies to ensure that we provide you with the best possible experience on our website. This can also cover artificial light or a build up of rubbish that could possibly cause harm. If the council accept your complaint you will most likely have to pay them a fee for their service. Hounslow ( HOWNZ-loh) is a large suburban district of West London, 10+34 miles (17.5 kilometres) west-southwest of Charing Cross. On 4 June 2021, the landlord provided a stage two final response. Call Customer services on 020 8583 2000. It advised him to call the Councils Enforcement when there was a smoke incident. Around the same time, its HO carried out an Equality Impact Assessment to determine if it was appropriate to take further steps regarding the neighbours tenancy. It may also have information on how to make your complaint, any fee you may need to pay and which department handles complaints. In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was maladministration by the landlord in respect of its handling of the residents reports concerning ASB from his neighbour. The sub woofer is incredible on this system. He asked the landlord to contact another neighbour who would confirm this. She added . The landlord made reasonable efforts to substantiate the residents reports of noise and acted appropriately by initiating mediation in accordance with its policy. The landlords policy refers to interviewing the reporter and providing incident diary sheets where relevant. He complained about the risk to the whole block and said he could not keep calling the Fire Brigade. The HO did. He is owns the property. We did make a few anonymous calls to the drug police. Live in London (or any major UK city) then expect noise. London Borough of Hounslow. It might be worth reading Hedge height and light loss. It is noted that the country was in lockdown during this timeframe as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which may have impacted on the landlords ability to provide its usual service. The complaint is about the landlords response to the residents reports of noise nuisance. Therefore, from March to June 2020, apart from contacting the resident to discuss the issues and asking him to complete diary sheets, there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate the landlord properly assessed or investigated the residents reports despite agreeing that it would. The landlord stated that it had checked its own records and spoken to other residents to ascertain if any corroborating noise reports could be found. Having reviewed the actions taken it was satisfied that the case was managed satisfactorily. https://www.definitions.net/definition/Hounslow. If youve taken the steps listed in Over the garden hedge and can answer yes to all the points listed below, the local council is likely to be able to consider your complaint. If you receive a PCN, you can either pay the charge meted on you or challenge the fee through an appeal to the London borough of Hounslow council. You should check if the tree or hedge is dangerous before you decide. If you have tried and failed to resolve your neighbourly issue by talking to your neighbour you can approach your local council. The landlords ASB officer spoke to other residents in the block as well as the neighbours care worker. The complaint was not upheld as it said the investigation was still ongoing and was being carried out satisfactorily and in accordance with the landlords policy. Police refused to do anything, and environmental health were even more useless. To complain all you need to do is contact your local council, many have a specialist team to deal . It said that the investigation was still ongoing and was being carried out satisfactorily and in accordance with its policy. Had to put up with druggies, noise, her washing machine used to go on at 1 in the morning as well as hoovering. It followed this up with an email to the resident on 14 August 2020 advising his report had been logged and requesting him to record the times/dates of the alleged noise nuisance and ASB in diary sheets. By the landlord. The legislation specifically says that councils cant deal with problems caused by roots. made up of a line of 2 or more trees or shrubs? The property is a flat on the fourth floor of the building. They will decide whether the hedge adversely affects the reasonable enjoyment of your home and its garden or yard and what, if anything, should be done. The resident replied to the landlord later. It also said it would keep him updated on the progress. In the event of an emergency, such as if your neighbour physically attacks you, always call 999. Even when I asked them about the noisy neighbour they were very defensive. So, before you send your complaint and any fee to the council, its very important to collect all relevant information that you may need and think carefully about your reasons for complaining. Image above: Hounslow Council Budget meeting, Tuesday 2 March 2021. The landlord failed to follow its ASB policy in this regard. Hounslow Council Contact Information. The landlord acknowledged his report and. On 13 September 2020, the resident provided the landlord with records of noise nuisance from 3 September to 12 September 2020. It asserted that it had appropriately arranged for the resident to meet with his neighbour to discuss the issue. Is there anything wrong with this page? In accordance with paragraph 54 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was no maladministration by the landlord in its response to the residents reports of noise nuisance, The landlord made reasonable efforts to substantiate the residents reports of noise and.
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