HUNDREDS of complaints were recorded in Denbighshire and Conwy as noisy neighbours caused a headache during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Denbighshire County Council recorded 425 noise complaints linked to neighbours between April 2020 and March this year, according to new figures.

The number of complaints soared from 314 the year before – a 35 per cent increase – as people across the area were confined to their homes for sustained periods of lockdown.

Conwy County Borough Council, meanwhile, were found to have had 285 noise complaints in that same time frame; a 51 per cent rise on the 189 recorded the year before.

A spokesperson from Conwy County Borough Council's Regulatory Services said: "There has been a general rise in noise complaints across the UK during the pandemic. This is most likely due to many people spending far more time at home than usual as a result of lockdown, working from home and self-isolating.

"The most common types of noise complaint that we’ve received are: domestic noise, for example loud music and dogs barking; and vehicle noise, including car alarms and stereos.

"Information and advice about noise nuisance is available on our website at: www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Resident/Environmental-problems/Noise/Noise-and-Other-Statutory-Nuisances.aspx."

A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council added: “We have seen a rise in noise complaints during the pandemic, which is possibly due to people spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 guidance, rules and lockdowns.

“Our most common types of complaints received by far were in relation to music, closely followed by dog barking.

"Complaints relating to noise from people (loud conversations, shouting, etc.) doubled from the previous year, and there was a slight increase in the number of complaints received relating to DIY noise and noise created during construction AND development.”

A Freedom of Information request submitted to hundreds of local authorities by Churchill Home Insurance found there were more than 368,000 complaints about noisy neighbours lodged to 267 councils across the UK in 2020-21, a 28 per cent rise from the previous year.

Steven Williams, from Churchill, said: "The pandemic has seen us confined to our homes which means we’ve probably all become very aware of noises around us.

"As we go into more of a ‘new normal’, many of us will carry on working from home, at least part of the time, so noisy neighbours will continue to be really disruptive.

“It may be the case that neighbours don’t realise they are being noisy, so the first step should always be speaking to them and explaining the problem.

"If that doesn’t work and they carry on, then keep a record of the type of noise and time of day and speak to your local council about raising a potential noise complaint.”

The Local Government Association, which represents local authorities, said councils were working to tackle the problem.

Nesil Caliskan, from the LGA, said: "With many people living in high density, urban areas, complaints about noise nuisance are common.

"Councils are doing what they can to respond to noise complaints in communities, and to tackle persistent behaviour that makes peoples’ lives a misery."

The figures suggest the place with the noisiest neighbours in the UK was Kensington and Chelsea, where more than 15,000 complaints were made, roughly 9,900 for every 100,000 people.

The Government has assembled the Interdepartmental Panel on Costs and Benefits (Noise) to consider the implications of the latest evidence around noise and will use the findings to update Government guidance where necessary.

Local authorities are responsible for investigating complaints about issues that could be a statutory nuisance and have a duty to carry out inspections to detect and investigate nuisance complaints, including those concerning excessive noise.