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Health & Environmental Services

Tel: 03450 450 063

Fax: 01954 713149
Email to contact:
Health & Environmental services (This link will open in a new window)
Refuse service (This link will open in a new window)

Environmental FAQs

• How do I report an abandoned vehicle?
• What should I do if I find a stray dog?
• How do I find out about private land ownership?
• How do I complain about a nuisance?

• More environmental FAQs

What is pollution?

It is difficult to precisely define what pollution is, what one person regards as normal behaviour may be causing great distress to others. What one person thinks of as music may be pollution to another's ears. A neighbour enjoying a regular barbeque or bonfire may in fact be guilty of producing a smoke nuisance for the other nearby residents.

What do South Cambridgeshire District Council regard as pollution?

SCDC will investigate reports of nuisances which are having a detrimental effect on the quality of peoples lives. In the first instance you will almost always have to keep a log to record when the nuisance is occurring and the nature of the problem.

• Pollution service requests can be submitted online (This link will open in a new window).

How do I Complain About a Nuisance?

1. Tackle the Source

First, approach whoever is responsible for the nuisance. They will often not realise they are disturbing you. The majority of complaints are resolved informally, and you may well get a quicker result than if you wait for an official to arrive. In cases where you might feel threatened, or where previous personal approaches have not worked, go to your local authority.

2. Complain to your Local Authority

Contact the environmental health department of your local authority. They must investigate your complaint. If they agree that there is a nuisance they will contact the offender - informally at first, but with an abatement notice if necessary. If the offender fails to comply with the notice proceedings can be taken in the Magistrates Court

Council's process:

In most instances the complainant will also be required to maintain log sheets for 14 days.

The purpose of the log is to build up a picture, which will help in establishing whether a nuisance exists. It will also help in the effective targeting of resources. Log sheets can also be used in evidence in legal proceedings.

The person causing the alleged nuisance will be contacted at an early stage and informed that their activities could be causing a nuisance.

If in the opinion of the Environmental Health Officer, there is a statutory nuisance, the person responsible for the nuisance may be served with an abatement notice.

nuisancelogDownload a nuisance log

In general anonymous complaints will not be investigated.

Where complainants have stated that they will not give evidence in Court and should legal proceedings be necessary, the Council will not take formal action.

mediation

Mediation Services

Trouble between neighbours

Imperial War Museum, Duxford

Formula 1 Car Testing for 2011

Following complaints made to the Council in 2009 concerning excessive noise from Formula 1 car testing on the airfield, an agreement was heeded between the Council and the Imperial War Museum to condition the use of the airfield for such events.

Only one event took place in 2010 and the Imperial War Museum have suggested some slight alterations to the conditions which have been accepted by the Council for 2011.

The conditions are:

1. There shall be a maximum of five events where a Formula 1 car is allowed to drive on the runway during any calendar year
2. Events shall only take place between Monday and Friday in any week and between the hours of 0800-1800hrs. No events shall take place on weekends or Public Holidays
3. There shall be no more than two events in any one calendar month and no more than one event in any one working week (Mon-Fri)
4. Noise levels and duration of testing per event shall be similar to that experienced during 2009 and no more than 180 runs up and down the runway will be allowed on any one day
5. Imperial War Museum shall give at least two weeks' notice to the Parish Clerks of Duxford, Whittlesford and Thriplow of any event planned to allow F1 testing on the Imperial War Museum runway. (This would include any reserve day planned for inclement weather conditions)
6. Imperial War Museum shall give at least two weeks' notice to any other member of the Public living or working within these Parishes who requests to be so informed. (This would include any reserve day planned for inclement weather conditions)
7. August will be trialled during 2011 to gauge Public reaction during the main holiday period with the proviso that it is removed from other years if the level of complaint/disturbance is far greater than recorded for other months' events
8. These conditions may be revisited in the future should the need arise