Construction works

Sections 60 and 61 of The Control of Pollution Act, 1974 enable the Council to impose conditions on the way in which work is carried out on construction sites in order to limit the noise impact on surrounding dwellings.

The Council will seek to agree, with the site operator, a standard set of voluntary restrictions on the time during which a construction site is allowed to operate noisy equipment that could give rise to nuisance. These are usually;

Monday to Friday - 7.30am until 7.00pm

Saturday - 8am until 1 pm

Sunday and/or Bank Holidays - no noisy equipment should be used

Contruction noise time of working are only guidelines and can be subject to change with prior notification to the Local Authority.

If, however, operators fail to adhere to the agreed times then enforcement powers may be used to enforce the necessary restrictions. A failure to comply can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £20,000.

Site operators must contact the Environmental Health Department (in writing where possible) to obtain consent to operate such equipment outside these hours.

Sources of noise over which the Council has no regulatory control

Aircraft noise - Aircraft – Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Dept. for Transport 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri 020 79448300 www.caa.co.uk or complaint addressed directly to the Operations Duty Manager or Aerodrome. BAA Heathrow 0800 344844

Civil helicopters - Complaints can be made to the British Helicopter Advisory Board (their trade association)– Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Dept.

Military aircraft - Complaint may be made to Ministry of Defence Secretariat (Air Staff) 2B, Room 8249, Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB.

Roadworks - Road safety, roadworks and road maintenance including surfacing, salting, gritting and street lighting is the responsibility of Bucks County Council on 0845 3708090 or Highways on Call 0845 2302882 www.hoc@buckscc.gov.uk

Transportation Noise - Further information is available from the Environment Agency

When informal action is not possible or fails, you should complain to your Local Authority and they will investigate your complaint.

Once you make a formal complaint, you will be asked to complete diary log sheets, which should provide accurate details of

• A description of the noise and how it affects you in your home or garden.
• The dates the noise disturbs you. 
• The times the noise starts and then stops. 
• The diary sheets should then be returned to us for analysis, and based on this evidence appropriate action will be taken. This may involve visits to your property to witness the disturbances you are experiencing.

If you wish to register a formal complaint, you can either complete the nuisance complaint online form , or contact Environmental Health below.