Croydon’s innovative smartphone app My Croydon has broken new ground by developing a feature that enables you to report noise to the council.
The app has been upgraded to include a decibel meter which measures the noise and tells you whether it is loud enough to be classed as a nuisance.
If it is, the council will be able to take action, and the app will request more information, such as what category the noise falls under – for example anti-social behaviour, barking dogs, car alarms – as well as approximate location.
The council has legal powers to deal with unreasonable noise including music, parties, alarms, construction and DIY, and currently receives around 4,000 noise complaints a year.
The new noise reporting function is currently in its beta-testing phase, so the council would ask residents to provide any feedback such as technical issues they may be having.
Users should also be aware that the decibel meter is an indicator and only used as a guide as to whether the noise recorded can be classed as a nuisance.
My Croydon already allows residents to report a range of problems including abandoned vehicles, blocked drains and gullies, dead animals, dog fouling, fly-tipping, graffiti, illegal campsites, illegal street trading, potholes and road defects and tree or hedge obstructions.
Nearly 6,000 people have already downloaded the app.
“This feature has been carefully designed around the needs of our residents and our noise pollution service, making it easier to report and respond to noise nuisance. Whereas other generic apps already enable noise to be reported, we’ve gone a whole step further by allowing residents to measure the noise using a sophisticated decibel meter, to give a better idea of what options are available and whether the council can assist. The council is eager to use the latest technology to make the services we provide to residents more efficient. Whereas previously residents would call the council to report noise, now they can do so at the click of a button via their smartphones. It will build on the success we have had with residents frequently using the My Croydon app to report a number of issues they may be having.”
Councillor Mark Watson, cabinet member for safety and justice
The My Croydon app is quick and free to download from the Google Play Store for Android smartphones or Apple iTunes store for iPhones.
The council would welcome any feedback from users of the app, in particular those using the new noise reporting feature. Email myaccount@croydon.gov.uk
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