However, because the landlord also has to balance the needs of the neighbour who is vulnerable, the lack of a permanent solution provided would not. High hedges: complaining to the council - GOV.UK The outcome of the investigation was that there was insufficient evidence of noise nuisance for it to take enforcement action. Heartbroken dad issues warning after son, 13, dies in TikTok challenge, Red flag after possible suspect in missing brothers case made eerie request, Two dead and four injured after 19-year-old 'opens fire at prom after party', $80k reward offered for shooting suspect Francisco Oropesa after five killed, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Noise is one of the most common neighbour complaints, just because you find a noise or habit irritating. The council should assess the case in the same way as an application to carry out work on trees protected by a Tree Preservation Order or a notice of work on trees in a conservation area. This is usually at the base of the trunk or main stem of the trees or shrubs in the hedge. 60 councillors are elected from 20 wards, with by-elections held to fill any vacancies between elections. Information and translations of Hounslow in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The landlords internal record dated 19 August 2020 confirms it visited the neighbours flat with its fire officer and that a smoke detector was fitted. 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. 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. hours number to the resident. All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. It is evident that the landlord made 22 further visits after the conclusion of the residents complaint between 18 May and 19 November 2020. This shows the landlord considered legal action to evict the neighbour however as its ASB policy sets out legal obligations the landlord has to vulnerable residents including when pursuing possession, it is reasonable to expect the landlord to have contacted its Legal team for advice on this issue to ensure it was fully aware of all options. What does Hounslow mean? - Definitions.net Email Customer Services on customerservice@hounslow.gov.uk. On 8 June 2020, the resident reported that there had been a burning smell coming from his neighbours flat the day before; they could not breath while. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. It will take time for them to get a statement from your neighbour and arrange to visit the site. On 13 April 2021, the neighbour made a self-referral for support. What does Hounslow mean? We will deal with these as part of the Councils day to day business, rather than through our complaints process. Its an offence to fail to do what a remedial notice requires. It was during the middle of my final year uni exams it got worse. . waiting for the lift. This is a simple guide and not a statement of the law. 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. Should you be. By the landlord. It said it appreciated that the issues were reported over 12 months previously, but they had not yet been resolved. Noisy neighbours - London Borough of Richmond upon Thames 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. He said he would like to raise the matter as a complaint and copied in the complaints team. Any disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 must also be taken into account before possession is pursued against a disabled person. You don't mention if this person rents the property or is a lease holder. Even when I asked them about the noisy neighbour they were very defensive. Hounslow Council (202001964) - Housing Ombudsman The landlord acknowledged his report and. Welcome back Edit Account-Sign Out. Read what we're saying about a range of issues. The landlords ASB policy makes clear that it must do everything possible to resolve the issue using alternative remedies before considering tenancy action. On 8 April 2022 the landlord told the Ombudsman that: the neighbour was temporarily house elsewhere from 13 January 2022 which was agreed for six months. contact him about his complaints, but they were never resolved, and he was in the same position with no changes. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies, Benefit calculators: what benefits can you get, Check how much redundancy pay you can get, Template letter to raise a grievance at work, Grants and benefits to help you pay your energy bills, You can't afford to top up your prepayment meter, Check if you can get your money back after a scam, Renting from the council or a housing association, Living together, marriage and civil partnership. 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. Serves them right, even though they could not sleep, they were all too limp to report someone they feared. Definitions.net. If you rent your home, talk to your landlord about the problem. This should include a likely timeframe for any action outlined. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. The landlord emailed the resident on 12 August 2020 confirming that they had visited the neighbours flat. The council should determine your complaint impartially. That may include the date and time of the incident and how it affected them. None of these visits recorded any evidence to prompt enforcement action. Happy to be corrected! For example, the hedge might help to make the area an attractive and pleasant place. They might ask the owner to make it safe or deal with it themselves. He complained about the risk to the whole block and said he could not keep calling the Fire Brigade. Theyll indicate where the boundary is and might say whos responsible for the tree or hedge. The sub woofer is incredible on this system. any failure in the service provided by the landlord. Please see Over the garden hedge for information on the steps you should think about taking before you complain to the council. So can your neighbour. Advice for people affected by child abuse. I have a neighbour. Problems could include, for example, if you think a hedge is too high or branches from your neighbours tree are overhanging into your garden. His children had to cover their mouths and he had spoken to another resident who was also aware of the incident. Bloody ridiculous people have to put up with these selfish sod neighbours! Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. Rather, the Ombudsman seeks to establish whether a landlord has responded reasonably to reports made to it that are its responsibility to address and whether it acted in accordance with its relevant policies and procedures. From disruptive planning permission to noise complaints, you can tackle the issue of nuisance neighbours though your local council. In August 2020, the police and Fire Brigade attended the residents floor to investigate smoke in the communal corridor and it was identified that the source of the smoke was the neighbours flat. confirmed it was still working with the neighbour. The landlord should seek legal advice if necessary. No. For example, chapters 4 and 5 of this guide give detailed advice about what councils look at when they make decisions on complaints. If someone breaks an abatement order about noise from their home, they can be fined up to 5,000. Hounslow Council complaints contacts. the landlords handling of the residents reports concerning antisocial behaviour from his neighbour. Sometimes things go wrong and we need to be aware so that we can fix and learn from them. If you think your neighbour's tree is dangerous, you can report it to the council - for example if you think it might fall over. But in some cases the council will decide that its right to refund all or part of a fee. , 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. Hounslow. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). London Borough of Hounslow (202128145) - Housing Ombudsman This could include keeping the hedge within its new height for as long as its there. Now the whole street can enjoy my bass. Mohammed Ali Khan, 45, of Thornbury Road, was found guilty of instructing a contractor to demolish a building without notifying the Local Authority as required by section 80(2) of the Building Act 1984 after a trial at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on February 3. You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies. The council might also have to allow extra time to protect birds nesting in the hedge. It kept happening and he was going around in circles. It may consider legal action against those in breach of their tenancy agreement however possession is a last resort in abating ASB. Some dissatisfaction about the Councils action will be treated as a request for us to do something, for example, a service request. The TW4 postcode is made up of Hounslow West and parts of Cranford, whilst the TW5 postcode includes Heston and Cranford. It did not explain why it had not logged a complaint when the resident had first made reports in March 2020 or during the interim period up to August 2020 despite further reports by the resident. 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. You have accepted additional cookies. Ombudsman receives more than 100 complaints and enquiries about It may also have information on how to make your complaint, any fee you may need to pay and which department handles complaints. He said the matter was urgent and he requested that the landlord take action or evict his neighbour. Further he said that the warning signs were there, and action needed to be taken before something serious happened. You can ask the police to get involved when your neighbours are rowdy or inconsiderate, damage your property or dump rubbish. that it was meeting with other agencies that week. The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any maladministration, for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner. Meaning of Hounslow. If it is, then councils can order the owner of a high hedge to take action to put right the problem and stop it from happening again. Your hedge might count as a high hedge if its over 2 metres - check the definition on the Royal Horticultural Society website. . Check if you can get help with legal costs. If the dispute arises from lifestyle differences and no tenancy breach is found, then it shall offer mediation. If it is, youll have to ask the council for permission to cut the tree even if its yours. Dont include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. The council must be realistic about how long it will take your neighbour to cut the hedge or arrange for someone else to do it. Contact your local council. The council will let the neighbour know that youve complained, so bear this in mind when youre writing the complaint. If the hedge includes protected trees, you might need to get separate permission from the council for trimming overhanging branches. This had not highlighted any noise concerns. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. The Housing Ombudsmans approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. Hounslow residents are being encouraged to come together with neighbours, friends, and family in celebration of the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla. If you cant solve the problem, ask your council to help. It also explained that whilst there were some discussions with the neighbour about a possible move this was not something he wanted to do at that time. 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 Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any maladministration, for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner. It might be a good idea to buy the documents for your neighbours house too - they might give information thats not covered in yours. In this instance the landlords ASB policy state. When councils are determining a complaint they must first decide whether the height of the high hedge is having an adverse effect on a neighbour's enjoyment of their home and/or its garden or. 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. Clearly explain: Stick to the facts and give all relevant information to back up your points. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. The Councils definition of a complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about: Not every expression of dissatisfaction will be a complaint. Sign in. We did make a few anonymous calls to the drug police. The resident replied to the landlord later. Once theyre satisfied that your complaint meets the legal tests, the council will invite your neighbour to set out their case. There were also instances of it not providing updates when promised. This can also cover artificial light or a build up of rubbish that could possibly cause harm. On 19 January 2021, the resident reported. We couldn't complain to the council as we owned the house and if we sold we would have to inform the new owners. The lease started on 10 July 2017. Contact your local councillor. We have 5,219 pages of rights advice for you covering 10,545 companies and organisations across 16 public & private sectors. 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. The landlords internal communications show it updated the action plan in September 2020 to reflect this. It is noted that it made 24 visits to the property between 28 August 2019 and 12 March 2020. Use this comments section to discuss problems you have had with Hounslow Council, or how they have handled your complaints. This also states that if. There is also no evidence of the landlord following up on a further report from the resident of a burning smell from the neighbours flat on 6 November 2020. On 29 April 2021, the landlord provided a stage one response. Report street problems / mySociety 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. The landlord issued its stage one complaint response to the resident on 16, August 2019 and 12 March 2020 to observe the noise level. The landlord carried out a risk assessment on 27 August 2020 with the neighbour following which it discussed their case with other agencies and identified an action plan to assist and support him. Comply with above orders within four weeks. In a reply on the same date, the landlord advised it would start the investigation immediately and the resident would be kept up to date with their progress. What does it mean to have power of attorney? Registered in England. Hounslow Council Complaints - Complaints Department This service has seen evidence that the ASB officer discussed the situation with his care worker. A West London man has been ordered to pay 6,000 after he illegally knocked down his own house. The neighbour making all the noise is sleeping now so I have some rest at least. To complain all you need to do is contact your local council, many have a specialist team to deal . Had to put up with druggies, noise, her washing machine used to go on at 1 in the morning as well as hoovering. If the problem continues, youll need to get help from a solicitor who specialises in neighbour disputes - but this will be expensive. for the installation of noise recording equipment in the residents property to confirm and identify the noise reported and take appropriate follow-on actions. You can cut them yourself but you must try to limit the amount of damage to the tree, which can be difficult to do. Out of hours emergencies. You cant be sure what the result will be. The council can reject your complaint if they think you havent taken all reasonable steps to try to settle your dispute without involving them. If you are unhappy with a service that we have provided to you, please . You can ask the council how long they expect all this to take. Chapter 9 of High hedges complaints: prevention and cure gives detailed guidance on enforcing remedial notices. Grade 2 cases include noise nuisance outside of permitted hours and verbal abuse. Live in London (or any major UK city) then expect noise. It advised that, as there was no evidence of noise nuisance, it could not take any further action. You can contact the council if you think your neighbour isnt acting in accordance with this notice. Its often best to find a compromise, for example sharing the cost of pruning a hedge even though you think your neighbour owns it. The landlords ASB policy also says it will maintain contact with the reported of ASB throughout the case who must be update on the progress of the investigation. 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 landlords advice to the resident on 20 March 2020 that his neighbour had been taken to hospital that morning for treatment indicates it had been in communication with his care worker at this time. The legislation specifically says that councils cant deal with problems caused by roots. It was working with other services to assess the residents vulnerability and explore the possibility of moving him to an alternative accommodation on a permanent basis. It said it would provide an update as soon as possible. All rights reserved. Use FixMyStreet.com to Contact your local council. Once theyve got all this information, the council will weigh it all up. The council may offer reduced fees for people who are on a low income or benefits. If that doesn't work there are other ways you can ask them to stop, for example by reporting them to the council. Chapters 4 and 5 of High hedges complaints: prevention and cure include detailed guidance for councils on the sorts of hedge problems they can and cant deal with. He said that he had been complaining for two years. 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. It is clear that the resident started complaining to the landlord as early as March 2020. This was appropriate as incident diary sheets provide first-hand evidence of incidents. If the council decide action is necessary, theyll issue a formal remedial notice to your neighbour and give you a copy. Serves them right, even though they could not sleep, they were all too limp to report someone they feared. If you disagree with your neighbour about a tree or hedge Whilst the landlord has to take steps to address ASB in line with its ASB policy, it has a responsibility to balance this with the needs of its vulnerable residents including those who may be the perpetrators of ASB. The resident said he was tired of complaining. On 3 September 2020, the resident called the landlord to report hearing loud music from his neighbours flat at 1.45 am that morning. The needs of residents are our top priority and we pride ourselves in delivering quality services in the most effective and efficient way possible. Hounslow Council criticised for delay in responding to homeless man He said that he wanted reassurance that the case was high priority. Inquire About the Details of a Recent Complaint. The most effective way to request a service or report something to the Council is through our standard customer contact channels. will write to the resident to explain why. On 13 March 2020, he stated that he wanted to raise a formal complaint. the landlord made a safeguarding referral in respect of the neighbour. The resident is a leaseholder. Listen, and request some time to think about the problem and measures you intend to take. the lack of action or engagement with other agencies during this timeframe was unreasonable.