• Loud music or TVs
• Noisy house parties or barbecues
• Children playing noisily
• Barking dogs
• Excessive noise from normal living, e.g. creaking floorboards, banging doors.
A young couple with two small children had moved into the middle house in a row of terraced houses. The older neighbours had complained about the noise from both inside and outside the house.
When West Kent Mediation facilitated a joint mediation meeting, the residents of all the homes in the terrace attended.
It transpired that before the young family moved in, the housing association had removed all the carpets leaving their house with bare floorboards. This made quiet living almost impossible for the family.
The mother became very upset as the meeting progressed and said she no longer felt comfortable in her own home and that it was impossible to control the noise.
While listening to her, the neighbours gradually became more sympathetic and suggested some solutions to overcome this.
The local MP also in attendance offered to get carpets laid for the young couple and, by the end of the meeting, everyone was talking to each other and feeling positive.
The meeting ended with some of the neighbours offering to babysit and the small row of terraced houses became a close-knit and friendly community.
Many people find it very difficult to knock on a neighbour’s door to discuss problems politely. They simply don’t know where to start.
Mediation helps people to have constructive, respectful discussions and to find a positive outcome for everyone involved.
"Thank you for the time and effort you have put into helping us to resolve our issues with our neighbours. We really feel that a resolution would have been difficult without your help. The mediation service is very useful and worthwhile."
