My neighbour has bought some chickens and a cockerel which he is keeping in the back garden. The garden of my house backs on to his garden and my house is about 50 yards away. The cockerel starts crowing at daybreak and is waking me up every morning. I have complained to the neighbour but he refuses to act. Is there anything I can do?
The remedies available to you will depend on first, whether there is a restriction in the property title documentation restricting the use of your neighbour from keeping animals other than normal domestic pets, and second, whether the Local Authority would uphold any complaint that the noise amounts to a nuisance.
The cockerel may represent a noise nuisance, although only at specific times of the day when it stretches its vocal chords. Such a noise early in the morning may well amount to a nuisance in a suburban residential area.
You should, therefore, check the documents of title to your property and the neighbour’s property to establish whether or not there are any restrictions on the keeping of certain animals. However, your more likely remedy will be via the Local Authority.