House Notes with Cheltenham MP Martin Horwood
THERE'S one problem where the effort made by various authorities rarely seems to reflect the misery being inflicted on innocent people: noise.
Persistent noise drives people to distraction – from foul language over the garden fence to careless pubs in residential areas to training aircraft flying low again and again on quiet summer days. It ruins peaceful daytime, interrupts sleep and even disrupts work.
The police say actual criminal offences are rare. Councils tell me they need time and resource to establish a case stronger than a neighbour's word. The alphabet soup of ASBOs and ABCs (acceptable behaviour contracts) didn't crack this problem. Good social landlords like Cheltenham Borough Homes do act against persistently noisy tenants but the culprits can be businesses or homeowners or tenants of careless private landlords.
Change is coming. Councils and the police have been given greater powers but national charity Environmental Protection UK is pressing for more. There are calls to revive plans for better regulation of private landlords. I've pressed councils, landlords and police to do more locally. But for those suffering right now, action can't come fast enough.
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Highlights of the week:
Tuesday: Never short of ambition, the Victorians kicked off a modest project in 1899 to produce a definitive history of every county and parish in the land. Many Victoria County Histories are complete but wars and economic downturns left others unfinished – including Gloucestershire. Dr James Hodsdon of the Gloucestershire County History Trust told me that Cheltenham is still missing so he's looking for supporters with a sense of history to help fund the work. Your name could be in the next volume! Contact James at 49 Pittville Crescent Lane.
Thursday: Breakfast with the Gloucestershire Independent Network. I'm not brilliant before 7am but entrepreneurs have businesses to run hence the early start. I've been to business networking 'clubs' before but GiN is friendly, down-to-earth and focussed on bringing quality local businesses together. And they support Winston's Wish too.
Saturday: I never knew there were 260 species of British bee, only a few of them honeybees or bumblebees. I met up with the Bee Guardian Foundation (www.beeguardianfoundation.org), Friends of Pilley Bridge Nature Reserve and other local bee fans for my first ever meeting under a bridge. We walked the old railway line learned about 'Trees for Bees', the importance of pollination and how we can all be better bee guardians.
Comments
by eyeopener
Monday, September 03 2012, 10:31PM
“lewis4glos every home owner and indeed every tenant has a clause in either their deeds or tenancy agreement entitling them to a "quiet enjoyment of their property/home" what that means is the right to life without unreasonable disturbance.
Landlords are by definition running a business and if that business disturbs their neighbours like any other business they can be liable. Would you argue that landlords should enjoy an exemption but other business not?
We are not talking about new legislation or creating new legislation, it already exists and just needs enforcing. The law already encompasses many other aspects of being a landlord such as safety in respect of electrical/gas installations, waste collection etc and this is but one more.
No-one is blaming landlords for rents going up. Its the law of supply and demand, however increased income does mean an increased ability to meet ones responisbilities.”
by lewis4glos
Monday, September 03 2012, 8:12PM
“@eyeopener -if tenants are making excessive noise, I absolutely agree that the problem must be dealt with and it is up to councils and the police to do so, where appropriate. But, if tenants are making excessive noise, why punish the landlord by tying him up in red tape? You cannot legislate away every problem.
Rents are going up, due to greater demand for rental properties, only a small increase in supply and increasing living/business costs, all caused by the recession. However, this has no connection with a landlord's responsibilities vis-à-vis noise.”
by eyeopener
Monday, September 03 2012, 5:51PM
“If you lived in St Pauls next to some private landlords, better regulation of private landlords would be a blessing.
I live next to a property owned by one, and so far I am fortunate; not because he is responsible, but because the tenants are.
When you live next to terrible tenants you certainly know about it.
As for lewis4glos worrying about the recession, rents are going up NOT down, so landlords are not short of the wherewithal to meet their responsibilities.”
by Ms_Superstar
Monday, September 03 2012, 4:39PM
“Well, who got out the wrong side of the bed this morning, then!
Normally I find his ramblings fairly entertaining, but he seems to be having a go at everyone today. Take a paracetamol and have a lie down, Mr Horwood.”
by lewis4glos
Monday, September 03 2012, 2:31PM
“"There are calls to revive plans for better regulation of private landlords" - so what? Does Mr Horwood intend to support these calls?
I certainly hope not. The last thing that we need in a recession is more regulation.”