8 - Your neighbourhood

Living in your neighbourhood

We want everyone to be able to enjoy living in their home within a safe and secure neighbourhood. This means everyone respecting other people and their right to live in the neighbourhood.

Noise and nuisance

Please avoid doing noisy household jobs and improvements at times that would annoy others. If loud music is constantly played then we may take action to stop it and will work closely with the Council’s Environmental Services department who have powers to prevent noise nuisance and confiscate goods.

Anti social behaviour

Anti social behaviour covers a wide range of things from racist behaviour to drug abuse, from loud music to criminal activity. Carrying out some of these activities will mean breaking the tenancy agreement and could lead to eviction.

Harassment

Harassment is caused when you offend other people or interfere with their peace and comfort. It includes, but is not limited to: violence; abusive or insulting behaviour; damage to property; abusive or threatening graffiti; racist behaviour.

You may be allowed to run a business from your home

providing you get our written permission and, if you need planning permission, you get the necessary consent. Permission will not be given if the business is likely to cause a disturbance to neighbours or may have a negative impact on the neighbourhood.

Animals

If you have a pet, please make sure it does not annoy your neighbours and others in your neighbourhood.

Gardens

Please keep your garden clean and tidy. An overgrown garden can cause problems for neighbours as well as being unsightly. You must not use your garden for the storage of large quantities of materials or dangerous items without our approval.

Parking

Please do not park on grass verges, gardens or open spaces that are not intended for parking. We may, working with other agencies, remove any vehicles that are untaxed or not roadworthy or are unsightly and having an adverse affect on the neighbourhood. Large commercial vehicles should not be parked in a residential area.

Vehicle repairs

Car repairs, other than minor maintenance to your own vehicle, should not be carried out in residential areas.

Problems with your neighbours

If you are having problems with your neighbours, the first step is to try and resolve the issue by talking to whoever is causing the problem and explaining how it is affecting you. They may not realise the affect their actions are having.

How to report problems with neighbours

If talking to the people causing the problem does not work, contact us. Sometimes there is not a lot we can do and we will be clear with you if this is the case. However, often we can take positive action and will work with you to make sure that your case if properly handled and the problems resolved. This may mean that you will need to keep a careful written record of what happens and when. We have incident recording forms which will help make this easier for you.

We may bring in other agencies, such as the Environmental Services team and we work closely with the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

We may suggest mediation as a way forward if we think that this will help reach a solution that is acceptable to everyone.

Where a crime has been committed we will suggest involving the police. We work closely with the police to solve problems by using Acceptable Behaviour Contracts or, in extreme cases, Anti Social Behaviour Orders, which require an order of the court.

If we have detailed evidence of nuisance, we may want to go to court to obtain an injunction (a court order that makes someone do or stop doing something) or an Anti-Social Behaviour Order. We may seek to get possession of a property or an order making the tenancy insecure (called a Demotion Order). This may involve tenants giving witness statements and attending court supported by professional witnesses such as our own members of staff.

Estate walkabouts

To help improve neighbourhoods we carry out regular estate walkabouts where staff and local tenants can tour the neighbourhood and identify problem areas, things that need doing and discuss plans for the future.

How to contact your Parish, Town or District Councillor

Details of Parish, Town and District Councillors can be found:

on the District Council’s website on www.southnorthants.gov.uk
by ringing the District Council on 0845 2300226
at your local library.