Leeds’ anti-social behaviour team are visiting hundreds of addresses to stop large parties getting out of hand.
The proactive approach has seen council and police officers patrolling streets providing advice and guidance to potential revellers so they can keep their neighbours on their good side.
Events with DJs, live bands, professional sound equipment and bouncers in homes are on the increase. Combined with excessive drinking, the parties have the potential to cause disruption and increasing complaints to the police and council.
Most recently, the team have been focusing their efforts in Headingley and Hyde Park, making over 120 visits in the last month in a bid to nip any potential disturbance in the bud and avoid repeat complaints.
The residential areas are home to a mixture of families, elderly residents and students but evidence shows that parties being organised on a grand scale are causing real concerns for long-term residents.
The patrols by the anti-social behaviour team are in response to these concerns and aimed at making sure people understand their responsibilities.
Officers stepped in recently residents received notification of a party due to take place between 10pm and 6am.
With over 200 people invited to the residential property, reports of security being brought in and noise from live DJ sets alarmed local people.
Although the party organisers had done the right thing in notifying neighbours, they acknowledged they had not fully assessed all the implications.
Party organisers were receptive to the advice of the anti-social behaviour team and partners and scaled back the party to a smaller, informal gathering.
In such scenarios, officers can issue a section 80 abatement notice – a legal notice that can be served when officers believe a statutory nuisance has or is likely to occur. The notice means any noise has to be stopped immediately and breaching the notice can result in prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000. Alternatively, the team can apply to the magistrates court to seize sound systems, speakers, decks and other equipment that causes the noise nuisance.
Around 100 of these notices have been served in the last month in the Headingley and Hyde Park areas.
Councillor Mark Dobson, executive member for cleaner, stronger and safer communities, said:
“We’re not setting out to be party poopers. We’re trying to achieve a balance where people can enjoy themselves without having a negative effect or causing a major disturbance in residential communities.
“The anti-social behaviour team are seeing an increasing trend for large, organised parties which, in the right location, we have absolutely no issue with. But when set to take place in the middle of a residential street we need people to know that despite their best intentions, things may quickly get out of their control.
“If we can help people with advice which allows them to make informed choices then communities are more content and we can stop a real drain on resources.”
