Tameside is the worst area in the North West of England for disputes between neighbours, according to a new study.

A new study by The Solar Centre has uncovered a huge rise in nuisance complaints in the last year, suggesting the extra time spent at home during successive lockdowns has caused neighbour disputes to boil over.  

This is according to data gathered through Freedom of Information requests, sent to almost 200 UK councils. Data analysts at The Solar Centre then crunched the numbers to reveal the extent of the complaints.

In 2020, there were 299,077 noise and statutory nuisance complaints filed across the country, a 28 per cent increase on the yearly average. 

In the North West, the number of complaints rose from 23,338 to 32,792 – a 41 per cent from 2019 to 2020. This was the biggest year over year increase seen anywhere in the UK.

Some of the more unusual complaints across the North West included fouling on premises, babies crying, prostitution and CCTV over next-door’s property.

In five years, councils across the North West received 119,800 nuisance and noise complaints. But, the worst neighbours in the North West belong to Tameside, with 6,277 complaints per capita (calculated per 100,000) since 2016.

Of all the complaints Tameside Council received, the most common was accumulation of waste.

Elsewhere in the North West, the most common complaint was usually dogs barking.

Behind Tameside, the areas with the highest volume of complaints were also in Greater Manchester - in Wigan with 3,707 per capita, followed by Stockport with 3,602 per capita.

Citizens Advice recommends several steps to deal with a neighbour problem peacefully, without filing a complaining. This includes keeping records, getting help from a mediator or if you feel safe enough, talking to them.

If you are having trouble with a neighbour, you can visit Citizens Advice’s guide here.

Brian Davenport, owner of The Solar Centre, commented: "It’s been fun looking through some of the more eccentric complaints, but we understand neighbour issues are a very real problem for some people.

"As a company that sells garden lights, we want people to enjoy their time in the garden. We hope anyone suffering with a neighbour dispute can resolve it quickly and peacefully." 

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