► Ashgrove, 29 Jan: Shouting, singing at 3-20am

(18055) Student party at large house on north side of Ashgrove Road, early hours of 29 Jan 2019. Music relatively quiet, but people making noise from front steps and garden between 1-30 and 3-30am, and in the street on leaving.

(University of Bristol guidelines for a weeknight party: quiet by 10pm.)

An Ashgrove Road resident has submitted a complaint to the University of Bristol as well as the property agents. In addition, three other residents (besides myself) have confirmed they were disturbed by this event. (Revised total: see note at end.)

This is a large house with, it seems, two households or flats within it that accommodate both UoB and UWE students. I previously complained about a party at this address in October (incident 18011, 6 Oct 2018). Noise from Ashgrove Road directly impacts me. Although I'm 100m away, the building layout funnels noise in my direction—which underlines how easy it is to cause disturbance at night.

On this occasion the problem (for me) was people rather than music. There did appear to be beat music playing in the front 1F room, but it was barely audible from my house (though it seemed to get a bit louder around 2-45). From responses, it clearly was disturbing to people living closer.

My attention was drawn by loud voices and some shouting at around 1-30am, which I identified as coming from people on the steps of the house. (I have line of sight from my property.) I went round and asked to speak to an organiser. While I waited, the dozen or so people on the steps went inside. When someone came to speak to me a few minutes later (soon followed by others), there were the usual fruitless arguments. One of the people I spoke to had been involved with the party in October, and seemed to be responsible for this one. There was some dispute as to which household the people who had been on the steps belonged. Regardless of that, I expressed concern the tenants would not be able to control their guests when they left, and there would be more noise later—which is exactly what happened.

I abandoned this discussion just before 2am and left to continue monitoring from home. Noise of people outside the property, and exiting into the street (usually towards Whiteladies Road), continued at intervals over the next two hours.

A particularly noisy group left at 3-20am, with some shouting and singing. Most of these people walked as a group into Hampton Park. (I suspect they carried on to Hampton Road, because there was a lot of shouting there near the petrol station a few minutes later.) After the departure of this group, the house quietened down.

Responses from other residents:

Ashgrove Road resident:

"We wish to express in the strongest terms our frustration and annoyance at the noise and disturbed sleep we experienced last night into this morning from the student party at the above address. These 'useless unthoughtful neighbours' seem to wave the proverbial two fingers at their surrounding neighbours and at you, the authorities, and at will ignore all advice given to them. It finished at 03.00ish but kept us awake for much of the time it ran." (Complaint sent to UoB and UWE.)

Ashgrove Road resident:

"I could hear loud music until around 2:30am which disrupted sleep."

Ashgrove Road resident:

"There were loud groups of people walking to/from the party through the night."

(Updated, 30/01/2019)

Westfield Park resident:

"We were also disturbed last night [29 Jan] to the point it woke our baby, keeping us all up from approx 2:30-3:45. We’re really getting to the end of our tether with the utter disregard for neighbouring houses."