Calls for a crackdown on nuisance neighbours in West Lothian have been on the rise. West Lothian councillors recently came to an agreement to reinforce rules concerning the reporting of anti-social behaviour and to evaluate the effectiveness of current legislation. This decision was prompted by a motion raised by Conservative councillor Angela Doran-Timson during a full council meeting to provide more assistance to individuals suffering due to problematic neighbours. Independent councillor Andrew McGuire echoed the need for a comprehensive review of the existing laws, emphasizing the necessity for councils to have greater authority in dealing with troublesome neighbours.
The council’s Safer Neighbourhood Team currently works with tenants to resolve disputes between neighbours, but its actions are restricted by legislation dictating what constitutes anti-social behaviour. Many tenants have expressed their dissatisfaction with the inadequacy of the rules in curbing unruly neighbourly conduct and have highlighted the lack of support for complainants. Additional support and actions to address this issue were deemed necessary during the council meeting.
Councillor Damian Doran-Timson seconded the motion, acknowledging the challenges faced by both the housing team and the Safer Neighbourhood Team in addressing anti-social behaviour effectively. He stressed the importance of standing by the victims of such behaviour and ensuring that those responsible face the consequences of their actions. The council has made information available on its website detailing the steps tenants can take to address neighbour disputes.
While there was broad support for the Conservative motion, a composite amendment put forward by the Labour and SNP groups emphasized that many of the proposed measures were already in place, including ongoing reviews of cases. The Conservatives had suggested extending the 3-month rule, which removes an anti-social behaviour warning from a person’s record, to 6 months. Councillor McGuire highlighted the frustration experienced by residents and professionals, calling for a modernisation of the legislation enacted in 2004 to grant local authorities more investigative powers in handling anti-social behaviour cases.
Despite supporting the composite amendment, Councillor McGuire commended Councillor Doran-Timson for raising the issue and emphasized the importance of proactively updating services to address modern challenges effectively. It was agreed that a review of the support provided to victims of anti-social behaviour, the enhancement of customer satisfaction surveys, and progress reports to the Public and Community Safety PDSP would be undertaken. The discussion highlighted the fine line between anti-social behaviour and criminal activity, underscoring the necessity for a comprehensive review of the legislation to ensure it meets current needs and expectations.