nasty kebab shop: noise

[Two_Sheds]

just a bit of a rant here. As you might be aware, a kebab shop recently opened next door but 2 to us.

In a residential street. The residents did object at planning stage, but their objections were rejected, and the kebab shop opened.

Now, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday the street is inundated with drunken, shouting, screaming, fighting yobs until 3am. Litter and food is thrown in the street, cars are vandalised, nobody gets much sleep. The police are not interested; the council are not interested.

Now another premises a bit further down the road has been granted a late-night music license. Why do commercial enterprises have more rights than the resident?

[zazen999]

I don't know - it's all wrong.

Why in a residential street - haven't they got town centres/parades of shops for that sort of thing?

[SarzWix]

Two_sheds, have you tried getting in touch with your MP? They might be some use? Also keep a diary, video the doylems causing mess/noise/rowdiness, report every small incident to the police, take photos of the litter/damage, record the sound levels. And make as big a nuisance of yourself as you have the energy to with the police and the environmental health. If all your neighbours do the same, it will soon be easier to do what you want them to than to ignore you. Persistance often pays off
If all that fails, sell the house to someone who likes going out, getting drunk & eating kebabs

[Two_Sheds]

Trouble is if I make a fuss, we get retaliation. I phoned them once to ask them to stop slamming the shop door at midnight ~ a couple of days later we had eggs thrown at our house.

[SlugLobber]

Oh dear! Sounds ruddy awful. I hope you documented the egg-throwing, too. I would be getting a cheap CCTV set up. That way, if retaliations do occur, you will have the evidence to show the perpetrators coming from the kebab shop.

It's not easy making a fuss and I don't envy you one bit, but if you don't, you've already lost the battle. Do the owners of the shop live on site?

I would also be worried about waste, to be honest. My experiences of fast-food outlets are that it's not just humans that get a take-away (I used to live above a chinese take-away). Hope it gets sorted, Two sheds.

[SarzWix]

Don't make a fuss to them, just to "the authorities". And I hope you reported the egg throwing?!! Or at least made a note in your diary
Can you change rooms so you're sleeping at the back of the house instead of the front?

[SueA]

You have my sympathy Two Sheds, it must be a nightmare. We have a little parade of shops in our residential streets a few houses away but luckily they're not late night ones just a chip shop, hardware & off licence. We do have problems with gangs of teenagers hanging around outside the off licence though & chip papers thrown in the gardens & the odd case of vandalism on cars & the odd fight . This has (touchwood) got a little bit better recently because the council have passed some kind of limited measures for so many months over the summer where the police can move on groups of youngsters who look like they may cause trouble, confiscate drinks & even take them home if it's after 11 at night if they're under 16. This has been after lots of people in the area have kept complaining to the police & the council 'asbo' unit. Everyone in your neighbourhood should keep phoning/writing to the council/police about every incident so that they have to do something about it.

[Two_Sheds]

Don't make a fuss to them, just to "the authorities".

Sarah ~ I have reported to the police

[Shortie]

Two_Sheds

Keep reporting the car crimes and damages. Every time you do make sure you get a crime reference (i.e. that'll make sure it gets logged) and rally as many neighbours who care into it too. The problem for the police and council with you all doing this is that it goes into the local crime stats and will look very, very bad. Eventually they will have to do something. You obviously don't want to be in this situation in the first place, or have to wait until they realise it's making their crime stats look poor, but I'm not sure what else to suggest, sorry

[Stacey Steve]

It maybe a bit time consuming but if you call the police and they do not attend, then put in an offical complaint to the police authority asking for a written explaination as to why they did not attend. You can do this via email from must police region websites.

You must get a police report/incident number at the time you originally report an incident.

This way not only are you pushing up the reported crime figures but also the stats for complaints against the police, definitely not something a Chief Constable will want on his record.

Make sure you let them know you will not go away untill they do their job "Upholding the Law"

[Two_Sheds]

they give me an incident number, and I end up feeling like I'm wasting my time and theirs.

[Stacey Steve]

There are several things here.

When a takeaway is given planning permission, part of the agreement is that they must make provision to clear any detrius within a given area of the premises. If they are not doing this, then the environment agency, health and safety and the trading standards should be made aware.

If you make a complaint to the police and they choose not to attend for whatever reason, then they are still accountable as they are charged to uphold the law.

What I am saying is (and from experience) that provided you can quote an incident number you have a right to ask for an explaination as to why the police did not enforce the law.

Chief Constables are accountable for complaints against their division and their promotion and pay increases are tied to those figures.

If you ask for a written explaination each time, then this takes up resource (OK yes it could be better used chasing murderers, I've had that used against me before) but you as a citizen are entitled to the protection of the law. Otherwise there is no reason to have laws if they can be picked and chosen at will by the enforcers.

Be a pain in the butt because you are given a pain in the butt and magically they will do something about it.

What I've had to deal with has been somewhat more serious than that you have expressed but you have to stand up and be counted sometimes.

[rustylady]

When any planning application is made, be it for residential or commercial premises, extensions or change of use, the details are advertised in the local press, a notice is posted outside the premises in question, and neighbours are (or should be) advised in the post by the planning department of the local council. This is the time to get the objections in. As many as possible.

[lynda66]

Why do commercial enterprises have more rights than the resident?

basically cos they pay a hell of a lot more council tax, and other taxes than the residents

[Two_Sheds]

When any planning application is made ... This is the time to get the objections in. As many as possible.

Objections were made. They were ignored.
The new premises has been "warned" before about bad behaviour. They have made frequent applications to extend their premises and gain a late music license. They have finally succeeded. Against residents' wishes and many objections.
How is this fair and just?