Noise nuisance

London Gateway construction works

Construction of a new shipping berth has begun at London Gateway Port. Work will continue until July 2024 as part of £350million investment expected to boost the local economy. During this period McLaughlin and Harvey, on behalf of DP World, will be using hammer piling with a non-metal pad to install steel tubular piles for a new quay wall.

Hammering will take place no more than 6 hours each day, avoiding times after 9pm and not at all between 11pm and 7am. Conditions affecting health and safety, such as weather and tidal movements, may result in works over-running later into the evening. McLaughlin and Harvey apologises for any inconvenience their work may cause.

For full details, including who to contact if you have concerns, go to DP World: London Gateway Berth Four Construction. If you wish to make a noise complaint to us, please tell us how the noise affects you inside your property along with specific dates and times you were disturbed by piling noise, so we can check records from noise monitoring equipment for those periods.

Noise from loudspeakers in the street

It’s an offence to use loudspeakers at any time to advertise entertainment, trade or business.

It’s an offence to use loudspeakers for any purpose in the street at night between 9pm and 8am.

When loudspeakers can be used

Loudspeakers can be used:

  • in emergencies or as a public address system
  • in or fixed to vehicles, if the rules below are followed
  • at a travelling pleasure fair
  • to direct a vessel
  • if we have given consent

In emergencies or for public information

Loudspeakers can be used in an emergency or as a public address system. They can be used by:

  • councils
  • the police
  • the fire brigade
  • the ambulance service
  • the Environment Agency
  • water or sewage companies
  • public transport operators to make passenger announcements, but not on a highway

On vehicles

If used in a way unlikely to give reasonable cause for annoyance, loudspeakers can also be used if they’re in or fixed to a vehicle.

The loudspeaker must be operated solely to either:

  • warn other traffic – like a horn
  • entertain drivers or passengers
  • communicate with passengers or drivers
  • alert people that fresh food or drink is on sale – for example, chimes on ice cream vans – but without speaking, and only from midday to 7pm

Reporting loud music or loudspeakers in the street

If you have a problem with loud music or entertainment noise from neighbours, pubs, clubs or in the street, you can report a noise nuisance.