Statutory nuisance procedure

Once the council has received a complaint, an officer must investigate it in order to establish whether a statutory nuisance exists, or in their opinion is likely to occur.

Matters which are potential statutory nuisances are:

The investigation will require the officer to visit the person making the complaint when the alleged nuisance is occurring. The officer may take noise readings, make notes and take photographs as evidence.

Once the officer is satisfied that a nuisance is occurring or is likely to occur, then they must serve an abatement notice on the person responsible for the nuisance or the owner or occupier of the premises.

The abatement notice will require the nuisance to stop and may prescribe what action is needed to make it stop. It will state a time period in which the person receiving the notice must comply with its requirements.