Anyone had any noise complaints from milling?

[Gary Prentice]

As long as your a registered business doing business stuff in working hours then he hasnt any right to complain.

 

 

I somehow doubt that is actually true. Morally yes, legally no. There, I believe, have been many legitimate businesses who have had to change their working practices because a complainer has managed to get the local 'Environmental Officer' on-board.

 

Church bells and cockerels come to mind too.

[Ilnumero]

I only mill during office hours, Monday to Friday, and try to keep any kind of noise to a minimum at the weekends. My neighbours aren't particularly close-by but I am always conscious of the noise I do make.

 

I think that's reasonable, especially as there are two other businesses neighbouring me who make noise anytime of the day, including weekends.

 

With my working hours, I don't think there's any justification for a complaint as I'm quiet in the evenings and weekends when the neighbours are likely to be in their gardens.

 

Do you mill outside 'office hours', as that would reasonably upset anyone if it was a regular occurrence?

[treequip]

As others have asked, are you free and clear legally about operating a business from the property ?

 

Commercial milling isn't farm or small holding so make sure planning wont have an issue with what you are doing. If you are bringing in timber, processing and shipping it out you may well need planning consent.

[aspenarb]

Ah the old noise complaints. Bit like church bells love them or hate them.

 

Are you able to put some stacked jumbo bags of soil between your saw area and him ? Very little effort on your part and then next time he comes you can at least say you've done what you can but thats it. Takes the wind out of their sails if you are trying a bit.

 

City types normally have deep pockets and tend to kick off with expensive legal action. I would be inclined to agree with Donk and attempt to quieten down the operation. A guy down the road that lives off grid used to have a lister genny banging away all night, Although he was a mile away this thing could be heard all around.The locals were about to kick off so I popped in to see him and we agreed to stack straw bales around the genny, job done. That or tell him to shove his head where the sun dont shine

 

Bob

[treequip]

. That or tell him to shove his head where the sun dont shine

 

But only after you are sure you are safe from enforcement action:laugh1:

[Big J]

I only have one neighbour at the yard and they breed labradors. Hard to say who creates more noise, but they are great and I'm lucky to have them as neighbours.

 

My mill is far quieter now it's electric, but the whistling of the blade is still loud enough. Their house is over 100 yards from the mill and separated by various farm buildings.

 

Industrial processes produce industrial noise. We should just be glad that people are still involved in primary and secondary industries in this countries and we aren't all selling insurance and mobile phone contracts.

[Justme]

As others have asked, are you free and clear legally about operating a business from the property ?

 

Commercial milling isn't farm or small holding (Or forestry) so make sure planning wont have an issue with what you are doing. If you are bringing in timber, processing and shipping it out you may well need planning consent.

 

 

 

 

Plus you will need business rates.

 

Re measure to reduce the sound. Baffles are better than solid objects which tend to reflect the sound & it can the be re directed back by trees or buildings.

 

With baffles the sound disperses in all directions so has no focused direction or energy.

[richy_B]

They way I see it, is there is a lot of us and and we have a relatively small island to live on. For that reason we have to accept some inconvenience/disruption from others. It's all about being reasonable.

 

On a nice Sunday afternoon you may want to lay in your garden and nap but of course someone in ear shot has decided to do some strimming. Nice warm day, you put your washing out, some sod next door thinks it's a nice day for a BBQ! The issue is when its persistant.

 

At my depot we have a burger van and they have a small petrol gennie running all day. It's not that loud but because all the buildings are steel sheet/framed the noise bounces around. Even 100 metres a way you can hear a low level rating sound. Doesn't bother me as I can hear it over my machines! But for the site offices/guys on computer all day it would be annoying.

 

As other have suggested I'd look at a low cost option to try and reduce the noise. Atleast you have then been reasonable. As someone suggested - hay bales. Cheap and I assume pretty sound absorbant. Even debris netting for scaffolding has a dampening affect. You could bang in 6 posts and put three 15 metre runs of debris netting. Should take a lot of sound out of it and it's only about £50.

[spudulike]

We had the church bells complaints in the next village and they turn them off at night now....I know what I would have said but I have three chiming clocks in the house and a war memorial that clangs but find it quite reassuring in the night to know what time it is:thumbup:

 

I would stick to set hours if you are going to make noise, 9-5 weekdays only and try to keep it off on typical sunny BBQ days around meal times. The suggestions of building up a sonic barrier between the mill and the surrounding residents is sensible as these things tend to get blown out of all proportion if left and life is too short to live with the aftermath of legal crap if it kicks off!

 

A stack of hay bales would work well and not look out of place. Hard surfaces reflect sound and soft surfaces absorb it, angled surfaces will deflect so 45 degree will go upwards...or downwards!

 

If you are keeping to work hours, have noise barriers in place and are keeping to sociable hours, it will all go your way if it kicks off.

 

I tune saws, I now do it in my workshop with an extraction unit so the neighbours cant hear them......it works as most think I don't do it so much now:thumbup:. I cut my own wood but stick to weekdays now as I can do without one of the knobs complaining and making my life difficult.

 

Just manage it and show good intent!

[adamelder]

I live right in the middle of a small town. Occasionally I'll do a bit of milling in the back garden. I've never had a complaint but I have had neighbours drop by out of interest, to see what's being sawn up. Most of the town know me and find it amusing when they see me hauling 4m long slices across the high street or loading my milling set up into my old Merc convertible (who needs a pickup!?).

 

I do most of my milling in a yard out in the sticks but a busy country walk runs right through the yard. Again, I've never had a complaint, only some walkers stopping to see what a tree looks like sliced. I've actually sold a few slices that way.

 

How I approach it is to ask for a quick bit of help with lifting (if it's safe of course) if someone stops at the yard or drops by the garden. I find that inviting someone to get involved in some way goes a long way. Sure, that might have H&S implications if you're doing commercial work!