These are the UK’s noisiest cities - and the strangest noise complaints

When choosing somewhere to live, people usually consider affordability and amenities in the area - but have you ever factored in how noisy the neighbourhood is?

While every town and city has its more lively areas, and also those that are more peaceful, it’s important to do your research into the local area – and that includes who you’re going to be living next door to.

Online brokers, Mojo Mortgages, submitted Freedom of Information requests to the local councils of each of the UK’s major towns and cities to find out which dealt with the most noise complaints between January 2018 and December 2019.

The noisiest towns and cities in the UK

The data revealed that London, Glasgow, Belfast and Birmingham had received the most noise complaints over the space of two years.

London had a staggering 261,500 noise complaints, which perhaps isn't surprising, due to the amount of people who live and work there. However, outside of London, Glasgow received 13,517 complaints, followed by Belfast, which had 13,449 complaints, and Birmingham, which had 10,990 complaints.

Barking dogs, people and music were the main cause of complaints across all the towns and cities.

When it came to the weird and wonderful complaints, ‘sexual noise’ was cited as an issue in London’s borough of Greenwich. While in Glasgow, ice cream van chimes were an issue for some of the city’s residents. In Belfast, banging doors and gates, as well as singing in the streets, were some of the most popular complaints, aside from dogs barking and music.

The quietest towns and cities in the UK

The UK’s quietest neighbourhoods were revealed as Norwich, Norfolk and Oxford with 945, 1,013 and 1,049 complaints, respectively. So, if you want some peace and quiet amidst the hustle and bustle of city life, then these are your go-to areas to live in.

The 10 noisiest towns and cities in the UK

London – 261,500 complaintsGlasgow – 13,517 complaintsBelfast – 13,449 complaintsBirmingham – 10,990 complaintsAberdeen – 10,251 complaintsManchester – 9,554 complaintsCoventry - 8,110 complaintsCardiff – 6,665 complaintsSwansea – 6,519 complaintsLiverpool – 5,964 complaints

The 10 quietest towns and cities in the UK

Norwich – 945 complaintsNorfolk – 1,013 complaintsOxford – 1,049 complaintsPeterborough – 1,330 complaintsBristol – 1,689 complaintsDerby – 1,906 complaintsSunderland – 1,940 complaintsHull – 2,215 complaintsStockport – 2,341 complaintsLeeds – 2,400 complaints