noise pollution cockerels

[pauloegbirdman]

friend off mine has got game birds on his dads farm it was behind a pub the pub has been knocked down & they have built houses on the land the farm has been there for 500 years. somebody in the houses has complained to the council about his cockerels he has got a letter from council to get rid of his cockerels or he will get a £ 5000 fine he had his bird there before they built the houses does anybody know the law about this farm land is farm land

 

[dinosaw]

He can appeal the abatement notice within 21 days of having received it with reasons why he thinks it is unreasonable, the appeals tend to be more successful when they are coming from a commercial enterprise but the £5000 fine suggest that this is classed as residential and therefore he is probably going to struggle unless he can keep his birds quiet until at least 7am, another member on here had neighbours complain so will probably tell you more about it. It really annoys me when people move next to a farm and then complain about typical farm noises, it is really unfair, if you moved next to the M25 or Heathrow and complained about the noise of the cars and planes you would quite rightly get told to sod off.

 

[valeriebutterley]

A couple of years ago I heard that neighbours were muttering about crowing. So I rang the council and asked what the bylaws were. I was told that in Surrey Borough Heath there were no bylaws about bird noise, and that as I kept him quiet until 9.30a.m. in a little hut in the garage overnight, I was more than reasonable!
They took the number of complaints into account and then came and listened. and took action accordingly, in my case, none.
Your friends problem is more serious with a case against him, and the threat of an impossible fine.
Now, I would find out who had complained and go and front up with them, why live in the country if you don't like it and cannot stand country sounds?

 

[chrismahon]

As far as I am aware Pauloegbirdman, a recent case deemed that if the noise was there before people moved in and they knew about it (or would have known about it if they asked) they can do nothing at all. The letter sounds like a simple threat because there has been no mention of a Court hearing and subsequent court order, which would be needed for an abatement notice surely? Unfortunately legal proceedings can be expensive so most people just have to comply with their demands.

I find the bullying attitude of some Councils pretty disgraceful. They granted the planning permission next to a farm and would have been perfectly aware of the potential noise issues. If it was a dairy farm it would be even noisier from my experience.

 

[pauloegbirdman]

hi thanks for your response i'll let my mate know what you said the farm is registered as a pig farm for 100 years when i see his father i'll suggest he turns it back to a pig farm that will sort out the problem & keep the chickens

 

[pauloegbirdman]

hi everybody happy new year to you all. here the up date on my friend has not heard anything more about his cockerals from the council so i that is that i think his dad maybe thinking off getting a load of pigs just to piss off the neighbours for the agro it has caused but it is not decided yet hope you all have a good breeding new year