Odour is the smell that we are able to detect from substances, usually carried by air into our nose.Odours can be pleasant and unpleasant and the ability of odours to be carried long distances in the air means that odours have the ability to affect a large number of people.
Odour complaints can arise from activities such as muck spreading, the keeping of livestock, restaurants and take-aways, dirty premises (e.g. rubbish accumulation at a domestic property) and smoke from chimneys, boilers and bonfires.
Odours can cause a Statutory Nuisance. An Environmental Health Department will consider the following when making a decision
- the type of smell
- how often the smell occurs
- how long the smell lasts
- the strength of the smell
- whether it affects significantly the use and enjoyment of your property.
If you would like to make a complaint about odour the District Council will investigate odour nuisance in much the same way as other nuisance complaints. If a statutory nuisance is witnessed, the District Council will serve an Abatement Notice. This is a legal document that we serve on the person responsible for the nuisance, or the owner or occupier of the premises. It instructs them to stop the odour occurring and not allow it to restart.
If you wish to make a complaint to the District Council, please contact our Environmental Health section.
