Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can take many forms, from dogs barking late at night to drug use. All ASB however, has an effect on the community and can cause upset and annoyance to other residents.
To report ASB in your community, contact your local
Neighbourhood Officer or email
oureyes@irwellvalleyha.co.uk or you can use the
form on this website.
You can also report ASB through Irwell Valley’s out-of-hours helpline, which is available Monday to Thursday 5:00pm until 9:00am and Friday from 5:00pm until 9:00am Monday. To access the service, call 0800 035 22 10.
If you are involved in a serious incident or experience a threat of violence, contact the police on 999 or 0161 872 5050 and report the incident to Irwell Valley as soon as possible afterwards.
What is anti-social behaviour?
If you, your family or any visitors to your home are involved in any of the following activities you’re your tenancy may be at risk.
Noise nuisance
Noise nuisance can range from playing loud music, parties, shouting, dogs barking and DIY activities at unreasonable hours. Irwell Valley can take action where there is evidence of serious and persistent noise nuisance. We will also work in partnership with local authorities, which can take enforcement action if the noise is proven to be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Criminal activity
This behaviour includes drug related activity, burglary, and the handling of stolen goods. These acts are a breach of your tenancy agreement as well as being against the law. If you suspect a neighbour of committing these crimes then please report the matter to the Police.
Harassment
Irwell Valley does not tolerate any form of harassment and will take action where people are subject to threatening, insulting or abusive behaviour. We do not tolerate any harassment due to ethnic origin, sexuality, disability, gender or religious beliefs. All of our offices are designated Hate Incident Reporting Centres and will help deal with reports of incidents, which are perceived to be racist by either the victim or any other person.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, help is also available.
Certain business activity
Residents are in breach of their tenancy agreement if they run certain businesses from home, such as the repair and maintenance of vehicles or dealing in scrap materials. Please note that we do allow residents to act as official child minders if registered with the local council's Social Services and Health Department.
Graffiti, vandalism and damage to Irwell Valley property
Any form of graffiti, vandalism or damage to our property is a breach of your tenancy agreement and can lead to criminal action being taken by the Police. If you witness anyone causing damage to Irwell Valley property then you should immediately contact your
Neighbourhood Officer or the Police.
Abuse of communal areas
The irresponsible dumping of rubbish in communal areas can cause nuisance and danger to others. All household rubbish must be disposed of in bins provided. Any bulky waste can be removed by an Irwell Valley Ranger, just let your
Neighbourhood Officer know.
Vehicle maintenance
You can carry out minor repairs to your own vehicle, or that belonging to a member of your household, as long as you:
- Do not cause a nuisance to your neighbours.
- Do the work on your own drive or in your garage.
- Do not keep unroadworthy or illegal vehicles within the boundary of your home.
- Get rid of unwanted oil, engine or vehicle parts properly and at an authorised site.
Abandoned vehicles
Irwell Valley will request the removal of a vehicle from our land if it is considered to be abandoned and a danger to the public's health and safety. We will work closely with local authorities to ensure that these vehicles are dealt with quickly. Those responsible for the vehicle will be charged for all removal costs.
Parking
Please give consideration to your neighbours, their safety and the appearance of your estate when parking your vehicle. You must only park in authorised places and not block access to driveways or park on grassed areas.
Untidy gardens
We expect residents to keep their gardens clean and tidy at all times. Gardens that are overgrown or filled with rubbish are unsightly and give a poor appearance to the neighbouring area.
All gardens are monitored on their condition and action will be taken if gardens are not maintained to an acceptable standard. If you require assistance for basic garden work due to poor health or disability, please contact your
Neighbourhood Officer who can arrange someone to help you.
Rubbish and fly tipping
Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste on roadsides, lay-bys and communal land. Please help protect your local environment by disposing of your waste responsibly.
Your local authority will collect your rubbish on a particular day. You must put all household rubbish in the bins provided. Please report bulky waste, such as a sofa or a fridge, to your
Neighbourhood Officer or take it to your local household waste site if it is your responsibility. For more information on collection days and other services, please contact your
local council.
We encourage residents to keep yards and common areas tidy and free from rubbish and other unreasonable mess. To make sure residents maintain their outside space, we hold a garden inspection each year.
Click here to find out more.
Keeping pets
You can keep a domestic pet such as a cat or dog. However, we expect you to look after them responsibly and make sure that they do not cause a nuisance to your neighbours.
You are not allowed to keep:
- More than one dog or cat without first getting our written permission.
- Dogs or cats if your home has a shared entrance.
- Pigeons, non-domestic animals or livestock (for example, cows, sheep or pigs).
- Snakes.
- Any animal considered dangerous by law.
If you own a dog, do not let it foul on grass verges or open areas in your community. This is unsightly, unhygienic and a danger to health. Please also make sure that your dog does not become a stray. Your council’s dog warden service may take away stray dogs that have no identification tag.
What you can expect from us
When you report an incident of anti-social behaviour, it is logged on our database. Witnesses will receive an acknowledgement letter within one working day, which will include a reference number and the name of the Irwell Valley colleague assigned to investigate the case. Cases will be assigned to one person.
If it is a category A incident, such as hate behaviour or threats or acts of violence, we will contact witnesses and gather full details within 24 hours. If it is a category B or C (low level) incident, such as a neighbour disputes or noise nuisance case, we will respond within 5 working days.
An action plan will be agreed with the witness as to how the case will progress. Witnesses will be kept informed throughout the duration of their case, usually weekly or fortnightly.
During the investigation will not provide witness details to a third party without their consent. Every step will be taken by Irwell Valley to protect their identity if they do not wish to be identified.
How you can help
Irwell Valley and our partner agencies can do a lot to help tackle anti social behaviour but we also require help from the community.
Residents, their families and visitors should be considerate to their neighbours and help to create caring and happy communities. We also want our residents to report incidents as soon as possible to make sure they do not escalate in to a bigger problem.
If you wish to address an incident of low-level anti-social behaviour in your community, follow these tips:
- Approach the person calmly and explain the problems you are experiencing.
- Don’t shout or be abusive as they may shout and be abusive to you.
- If you don’t feel confident enough to approach them face to face, try writing a polite letter or note and post it through their door
- Consider if you are being reason