Noise complaints fall sharply after Covid-era peak, new CIEH data shows

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has published the latest data on noise complaints from across England and Wales, revealing a significant decline in both noise complaints and enforcement activity.

The CIEH Noise Complaint Data Briefing 2026 covers up-to-date statistics about residential noise complaints made to councils in England and Wales covering the period October 2024 to September 2025 and has been gathered from local authorities in England and Wales, alongside data on action they had taken. Data was also gathered on noise complaints from specific sources.

CIEH has been compiling data on residential noise complaints and local authority enforcement for more than 25 years.

306,956 noise complaints were lodged during the reporting period which equates to around 840 complaints a day – a significant reduction compared to the previous data briefing in 2021, which spanned all three Covid‑19 lockdowns.

The three Local Authorities which received the largest number of noise complaints were all in London. The London Borough of Islington reported 11,141 noise complaints, the London Borough of Southwark reported 10,785 and the London Borough of Hackney reported 10,237.

In fact, seven of the top 10 councils which received the most noise complaints during the reporting period were London boroughs. The only other authorities in the top 10 were Manchester (5th – 9,336 complaints), Birmingham (7th - 6,654 complaints) and Leeds (9th – 5,406).

The data also shows a decline in enforcement activity by Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs). Only 2,282 abatement notices were issued in the reporting period, a drop of over 72% on the figures from the equivalent period 20 years ago.

However. in addition to their enforcement duties, EHPs assessed 27,346 planning applications relating to new development, including dwellings, to check that the appropriate noise management measures were in place to protect the health and quality of life of their residents.

During the reporting period, 190 prosecutions were brought forward. This marks a substantial decrease from the 656 prosecutions recorded in 2004/2005 – a drop of 71% over two decades.

Similarly, there were 93 seizures of noisy equipment such as amplified music equipment in 2024/2025, compared with 439 in 2004/2005, representing a 79% reduction.

Shifts in technology and lifestyle are also reflected in the findings. Councils recorded 103 complaints about Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), with the majority arising in the South East. There were also 17 complaints concerning wind turbines and 326 complaints linked to properties operating as holiday lets (e.g., Airbnb’s).

Stephen Turner, CIEH Vice President, said:

“Government policy on noise management recognises that exposure to noise can have an adverse impact on people’s health, quality of life and well-being. Legislation has existed for 65 years that enables individuals to complain to their local authority if they are bothered by noise from a nearby property.

“Tracking the number of such complaints helps understand the size of the burden being faced by local authorities to protect the health and well-being of their residents.

“Not everyone adversely affected by noise will necessarily complain, so it must not be assumed that the number of complaints exactly describes the extent of the problem.

“For effective noise management to continue and improve, it is essential that local authority environmental health teams are properly resourced and trained to fulfil not only their enforcement duties but also to provide expert assistance to their planning colleagues when new development proposals are being assessed.

“I am grateful to all the local authority officials who made time to submit their complaint information and help establish this extremely useful dataset.”

Professor Stephen Dance, Professor of Acoustics at the School of Engineering and Design, College of Technology and Environment, London South Bank University said:

“Noise is an often overlooked and unseen pollutant, typically created as a by-product of industrial activity or simply from music that isn’t to your taste. Generally, the faster or more intensive the activity, the more noise it can generate.

“With most people now living in towns and cities, being a considerate neighbour has never been more important. During the COVID lockdowns we were all neighbours, all the time, and we saw this clearly as noise concerns and complaints increased, as this data gathered by CIEH highlights.

“EHPs are on the frontline when issues arise. So, as life has returned to normal, I would encourage everyone to be mindful, respectful, and aware of the impact they can have on those around them, and if you are being negatively impacted by a noise issue, get in touch with your local environmental health team.”

Councillor Asghar Khan, Leeds City Council's executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said:

"We recognise the significant impact that noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour can have on individuals and communities. In Leeds, we work closely with West Yorkshire Police, universities, housing providers and other partners to prevent issues from escalating and to respond robustly where problems occur.

"Our teams take a proactive approach, using a combination of early intervention, advice, warnings, mediation and enforcement where appropriate. We also target repeat and high-risk cases, alongside wider work to support safer neighbourhoods and reduce the impact of persistent nuisance on residents’ quality of life.

“This partnership approach helps us to resolve many issues at an early stage and ensures enforcement activity is focused where it is most needed."

The full CIEH Noise Complaint Data Briefing 2026 can be viewed here: https://www.cieh.org/noise-data-2026