We don’t usually run stories like this on EYE but in the light of the Lockdown we found this to be rather irresistible. Apparently, it’s all go in Greenwich, and probably getting more so by the day…

From loud music and raves to loud sex and barking dogs, the UK’s noisiest (and quietest) neighbourhoods have been revealed by online broker, Mojo Mortgages.

A Freedom of Information request to all major local authorities in the UK found that aside from London, Glasgow, Belfast and Birmingham had received the most noise complaints over the space of two years (1 January 2018 – 31 December 2019).

London had a staggering 261,500 noise complaints, which, isn’t that 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. Time to invest in some ear plugs? We think so!

When it came to the weird and wonderful complaints, ‘sexual noise’ was cited as an issue in London’s borough of Greenwich. Whilst over 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 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.

Richard Hayes, CEO and Co-Founder of Mojo Mortgages, said: “While every town and city has its lively areas, we thought it would be interesting to look at the most recent data to find out exactly the areas that you’d need to invest in some earplugs, and those that are more zen.

“When you’re looking for a new home, it’s really important you do your research into the local area, because the last thing you want is being stuck in a house that’s slap bang in the middle of the party capital of the street. Or even worse, if you’re going to be sent up the wall with the noise of constant barking dogs.”

The 10 noisiest cities and towns

London – 261,500 complaints
Glasgow – 13,517 complaints
Belfast – 13,449 complaints
Birmingham – 10,990 complaints
Aberdeen – 10,251 complaints
Manchester – 9,554 complaints
Coventry – 8,110 complaints
Cardiff – 6,665 complaints
Swansea – 6,519 complaints
Liverpool – 5,964 complaints
The 10 quietest cities and towns

Norwich – 945 complaints
Norfolk – 1,013 complaints
Oxford – 1,049 complaints
Peterborough – 1,330 complaints
Bristol – 1,689 complaints
Derby – 1,906 complaints
Sunderland – 1,940 complaints
Hull – 2,215 complaints
Stockport – 2,341 complaints
Leeds – 2,400 complaints