Barking dogs and noisy pets remain the biggest source of noise complaints made to Cornwall Council according to the latest figures.

The council will investigate noise complaints submitted and has provided details of those made during the first half of the current financial year.

Domestic animal noise continues to be the most complained about noise with 288 complaints received by the council between April and November.

That was followed by equipment noise from commercial or industrial premises – 259 complaints – and music from domestic properties, 252 complaints.

The figures are close to historic trends in noise complaints received by Cornwall Council although in 2020/21 complaints about music from homes accounted for the most with 510 across the whole year, pushing pet noise into second place with 454.

In every year from 2017 to 2020 animal noise from domestic properties was the most complained about in Cornwall.

The council gets around 2,400 noise complaints every year which can range from wind turbines to people noise.

These have been the noise complaints received by the council in the first two quarters of 2021/22:

• Animal noise – domestic: 288
• Animal noise – commercial/industrial: 20
• Equipment – commercial/industrial: 259
• Equipment – domestic: 69
• Music – street entertainment: 13
• Music – commercial entertainment: 216
• Music – domestic: 252
• Music – students domestic: 32
• Other/unidentified: 115
• People noise – commercial/industrial: 84
• People noise – domestic: 168
• Pollution advice and guidance: 2
• Vehicles, machinery and equipment in street: 53
• Wind turbine: 1

On its website, Cornwall Council explains that it can deal with some noise nuisance complaints but not all. Among the noises that it cannot deal with are "everyday reasonable household noise such as footsteps, doors closing, children playing, babies crying, people talking, reasonable use of household appliances, including lawnmowers". It also cannot deal with complaints about "DIY undertaken at reasonable times and frequencies"; "people noise such as voices in the street or in public open places including those plating or watching sport". The council also can't respond to noise complaints about noise from wild animals or birds, including seagulls; traffic noise; aircraft noise; political demonstrations and demonstrations about a cause; and premises occupied by the armed forces or visiting forces. There are also some noises which are dealt with by other organisations including industrial installations such as factories and waste operations. However, the council can deal with complaints about everything from intruder alarms and neighbour noise such as rowdy parties and persistent dog barking to building noise and sport and leisure activities including skateboard parks and clay target shooting.