Noise complaints rose during coronavirus lockdown period in Powys

PEOPLE working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic, caused a rise in the reporting of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) complaints, councillors were told.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on Monday, July 12, councillors were given an update on the work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) during the last year.

CSP co-ordinator Fay Smith explained that during the coronavirus pandemic crime patterns had changed.

Committee chairman, Cllr Mathew Dorrance: “The report makes it clear that it’s been an unusual year to reflect on, but the nature of crime is that it changes and we need to respond to it.

“One of the things that has come out of the last year is significant rise of Anti-social behaviour, primarily noise issues.”

He wanted to know how this is tackled.

Ms Smith, said:  “A lot of the rise is ASB is not strictly true.”

She explained that the lockdowns had a two fold effect that caused people to make complaints when there might ordinarily not be one.

Ms Smith “During the lockdowns people got used to the peace and quiet.

“All of a sudden you’d have an increased volume of traffic and people would complain about that.”

The second cause was people and children being at home during the day.

Ms Smith said: “During a lockdown with everyone home, with children playing, dogs barking, the noise at home suddenly increased.

“It’s wasn’t ASB, but was so unusual that people had to adjust to it all.

“When lockdown eased the first time in particular there was another increase in perceived ASB just because there were people out and about in the streets again.

“Fears were heightened.”

Noise comes under the sphere of the council’s Environmental Health department who investigate complaints.

Data from the Officer of National Statistics, (ONS) for crime in England and Wales said that from October to December 2020 the number of recorded crimes  was nine per cent lower than 2019.

During October to December figures for theft plummeted by 27 per cent on 2019 and knife crime was also 16 per cent lower.

These months, saw Wales have a firebrake lockdown at the end of October  and then go into full lockdown just before Christmas.

England was also in lockdown in November to early December.

The CSP also includes Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Powys Teaching Health Board, the Nation Probation Service and Youth Justice Service.