Many of us will experience minor inconveniences where we live from time to time, whether it’s someone parking inconsiderately or playing music louder than we’d like. It’s part of everyday life.
Thankfully these issues are generally infrequent and can be resolved amicably, without the need for further action to be taken.
Occasionally, what may start as an innocuous incident can escalate unnecessarily, creating a neighbour dispute that can cause significant stress for those involved and impact negatively on the residents.
Advice and support is available to ensure such disputes can be avoided or resolved.
Talk to your neighbour
If you feel comfortable to do so, it is always better to talk informally to your neighbour to try and find an amicable solution yourself. This can often help to resolve matters before they escalate.
However, if you feel your neighbour is acting in a threatening or confrontational way then it may be best to find a different approach to resolving the issue.
Speak to their landlord
If your neighbour is a tenant you can speak to their landlord, whether it’s a housing association or private landlord. They can speak to your neighbour to help resolve the issue, or take further action if necessary.
Contact Knowsley’s Crime and Communities team
Knowsley’s Crime and Communities team can help resolve neighbour disputes by drawing up a Good Neighbour Agreement where necessary. The team will speak with the respective neighbours to understand both sides of the story and provide a tailored Good Neighbour Agreement for both parties to sign and prevent further issues from occurring. The team will intervene if there is evidence of the Agreement being broken in the future.
You can contact the team at safer.knowsley@knowsley.gov.uk
Contact Merseyside Police
You can contact Merseyside Police via 101 if your neighbour is being violent or harassing you. Always dial 999 if you are in immediate danger or in an emergency.
Noise complaints and other statutory nuisances
Noise complaints and other statutory nuisances, such as burning household waste in the back garden, can be reported to the Council’s Environmental Health team. You can find more information, including how to report issues, on the Knowsley Council website.
Knowsley Local Policing Chief Inspector Christopher Ruane, is strongly supportive of the Good Neighbour Guidelines: “We are being called to deal with disputes between neighbours on a concerningly regular basis – and a lot of these callouts are avoidable.
“There are always going to be points of friction that come up from time to time when living in close proximity with other people. But if neighbours are willing to look at the other person’s perspective, stay calm and compromise, calling the police should very rarely be necessary, and resources that are getting tied up in these disputes can be reallocated to other issues.
“We’re fully committed to making Knowsley a fantastic place to live, and if we need to intervene in a situation we absolutely will – alongside the council and housing associations. I’d ask everyone, though, to play their part by considering the impact of their behaviours on others.”