[skip to content]

Environmental Protection

The Environmental Protection team work alongside local people and businesses to help to control levels of pollution in the Borough. Issues can include noise, obtrusive lighting, bonfires, contaminated land and air quality.  We receive a great many enquiries about a wide range of subjects, in most cases we are able to assist directly but there are other things which we cannot deal with, this is usually because it is the responsibility of another agency or the householders responsiblitly.  Where we cannot help directly we will always try to help either by giving details of the appropriate organisation to talk to or from our own knowledge and experience.

Matters which Environmental Protection Can Investigate or provide more information include Satutory Nuisance caused by:

Nuisance which may be prejudicial to health including:

Other Issues including

In appropriate cases, the investigating officer may advise that the best way of resolving the situation may be to approach the person responsible for the alleged nuisance to see if the matter can be resolved informally on a face-to-face basis.  The investigating officer will give advice how best to do this.  Alternatively, using a mediator may provide a solution and the parties concerned may be referred to West Kent Mediation.

Matters Which Environmental Protection Cannot Investigate

Within the general topics referred to above there are certain matters that the Environmental Protection Team is not able to deal with (but we would be pleased to log and may be able to provide information only):

  • Anonymous complainants (we need to know who is affected by the problem)
  • Noise and pollution from aircraft (when in flight).  (See CAA/BAA)
  • General living noise resulting from inadequate sound insulation between properties.  (See case law)
  • Noise from people in the street. (See Community Safety Partnership and ASBOs)
  • Traffic noise unless related to noise from specific premises. (Noise insulation grants may be available in certain cases where traffic noise has increased due to a new or altered highway.  (See KCC/Highways Agency)
  • Complaints about alleged nuisance where the source address or location is not known (unless we receive at least five complaints from individual addresses).
  • Noise from one-off parties (unless we receive at least five complaints from individual addresses).
  • Smoke from one-off garden bonfires (unless we receive at least five complaints from individual addresses).
  • Complaints of nuisance, which are affecting occupiers or workers in commercial premises.
  • Complaints of nuisance from occupiers of commercial premises about activities on other commercial premises.
  • Blockages of public sewers. (See Water Companies)
  • Noise from building sites where reasonable precautions to control noise are being taken including working within normally accepted working hours (usually 8 am to 6 pm Mondays to Fridays and 8 am to 1 pm on Saturdays only)
  • Nuisance from normally accepted operations on agricultural land.  See also our web page on Agricultural Practices.
  • Burst water pipes (SeeWater Companies)
  • Housing standards except where statutory nuisance is concerned (see above)  (See also Housing Services or Dept for Communities and Local Government)
  • Japanese Knotweed, Giant Hogweed, or other potentially invasive plants (See Environment Agency)
  • Bees (SeeKentbee.com)

Related Pages

  • Air Quality
    In this section you can find out what the current air pollution levels are in the borough, and what the Council is doing to improve air quality locally.

Attachment

PDF IconEnvironmental Protection Service Levels