The complainant might work nights...

...but then don't live near a school.

Actually wouldn't it be preexisting? so you would have a very weak case in court.

Ever heard of shift work?



Noise legislation is noise legislation, it doesn't matter who got there first. It would be up to the local authority (or a Magistrate's Court on appeal) to decide if the noise is reasonable or a nuisance.

Yep, that is definitely a soundproof fence. BBC description fail.

I live directly opposite an infants school. It does get noisy - I wouldn't leave my windows open when break time is on - but generally Its not excessive at all. The parents coming to drop off/pick up their little darlings are far more trouble and disruption than the kids themselves.

True but it would like buying a house next to a farm and then complaining about the rooster or smell.

We had a chap who bought a plot of land next to the quarry, which has been in operation for about 100 years, built a bungalow and THEN complained to the council about the noise and vibration caused by the blasting.

Someone up the chain of command decided that, in the spirit of good community relations, we should make a show of monitoring the situation, so one of shotfirers (usually me, being the most junior at the time) had to set up a vibrometer on his back patio every time we blasted. "It shakes the brandy in the decanter, you know".

When I finally asked him if he knew there was a quarry next door before he bought the land, he said "don't be so bloody impertinent" and complained to my boss. That was all I needed to know.

You simply cannot account for the stupidity of some people.

You can bet your arse that the people who bought the house near the school viewed it on a weekend, and the presence of a school outside the back yard never so much as raised an eyebrow.

Yes you should always view at a time when you are likely to be in. Plus any sensible buyer would drive or walk around the area to see what might cause potential problems like quarries or schools.

I used to live around the corner from an infant school in Bayern and I loved it at break time. We were in the countryside, so it was generally quiet (we had about 5 vehicles a day drive down our road, on average). The sound of the kids playing breaking through the bird song and the wind in the trees was a delightful sound.

+23

I have to agree it is a normal sound and really should be ignored.

Music is a "normal" sound, as is talking outside a pub, both can be counted as a nuisance.

My girlfriend says that my snoring is a nuisance. She works for a government agency. Should I be worried..?

True but kids at a school, are probably in recess for a small fraction of the day. Music and talking could go on for hours and may not be at sociable hours for the majority.

I recall in primary school someone new moved into a bungalow, they were all elderly people that lived in them, that looked out over the field, it was fine during the winter as we weren't allowed on the field until spring.
When we did go on the field they kicked up a right fuss, I great white line was drawn about 15 metres from the hedge and a short while later it was replaced by a great tall fence.

Then other neighbours started to complain because the school had spoilt their view of the grounds...