Anti-Social Behaviour

The legal definition of ASB can be found in section 2 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 as “conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person, or conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises, or conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person”.

Types of ASB

Anti-Social Behaviour can take many forms, some of which are listed below:

• misuse of public spaces
• rowdy, aggressive or threatening behaviour or language
• property damage and vandalism
• repeat verbal or written abuse, intimidation, harassment or threats
• acts of violence
• hate crime
• anti-social behaviour as a result of misuse of drugs or alcohol
• Vehicle Nuisance (wheel spinning, revving, noisy, being driven in an anti-social manner)
• repeat noise nuisance including loud music, persistent alarms, excessively loud or frequent parties, shouting or yelling etc.
• environmental issues including fly-tipping, vandalism, dog fouling, graffiti, fly posting, abandoned vehicles etc.
• repeat nuisance from pets such as dogs barking or failing to control an aggressive dog

Cheshire East Council Anti-Social Behaviour Team

The Anti-Social Behaviour Team consist of a team of  ASB Coordinators who cover areas within Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton and Macclesfield. They are overseen by the Council’s  ASB and Community Enforcement Manager as part of the Councils Planning and Environment Service. They may be able to assist with tackling some of the types of  ASB listed above dependant on the frequency and type of behaviour displayed.

Where we feel there are better agencies or departments to assist you, we will guide you in the right direction and explain why for example; Environment issues such as fly tipping and dog fouling, noise related behaviours or criminal matters that require police investigation.

Who we work with

Anti-Social Behaviour Team staff are based within Police stations and Council Offices across Cheshire East. This allows for a close working relationship with Police Officers and other departmental colleagues, investigating incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour that have been reported to us.

We work closely with several other agencies including:

• Registered Social Landlords
• Youth Offending Services
• CEC colleagues within Community Enforcement, Environmental Protection, Housing, Planning, Highways and other teams.
• Fire Service
• Crime Stoppers
• Probation 
• Education, Youth Support Service and Cheshire East Family Help Service 
• Adults and Children’s Social Care
• Partners within wider Cheshire Services – Halton, Warrington and Cheshire West and Chester.
• National Health Service
• Voluntary Sector Services

What we do

The Anti-Social Behaviour Team work with Neighbourhoods, Communities and partner agencies to investigate reports of Anti-Social Behaviour and have access to several interventions both informal and formal to try and resolve the issues for all involved.

We may undertake 

Community Questionnaires and ask you to complete diary sheets to gather evidence, and to help us understand the extent of the problems. If there is no engagement the complaint won’t be able to be looked into fully.

More information about the tools and powers the Anti-Social Behaviour Team might consider when dealing with reports of Anti-Social Behaviour can be found via our service specific Anti-Social Behaviour enforcement policy.

It is important to note that the Anti-Social Behaviour Team are not uniformed officers who attend incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour, we are not able to react to incidents straight away or attend the incident as it is happening. If the Anti-Social Behaviour is happening now and/or is of a threatening, criminal nature and requires an urgent response or criminal investigation then you must also ensure that you report it to Cheshire Constabulary.

Anonymous reports of  ASB

ASB

We do investigate anonymous reports of anti-social behaviour, however there may be a delay whist we investigate the matter further and decisions on what the team might be able to do to assist would be very limited. For example, we would be unable to make direct contact with the person or people you feel are the cause of this behaviour unless there is any other supporting information to allow us to do this. If the matter reported is assessed as a serious safeguarding matter and we feel that it requires immediate investigation, we will pass this onto the relevant authorities.

If you are very worried about reporting matters and want to remain completely anonymous, please do consider reporting your concerns to Crimestoppers who ensure reports are triaged and forwarded anonymously accordingly.

Noise Nuisance

If the behaviour you are reporting is linked to noise, for example persistent playing of loud music, dog barking, domestic noise then please visit our noise nuisance webpage, which will provide further guidance: Noise nuisance.

Who we can help

The Anti-Social Behaviour Team primarily assist with cases that are community based or matters reported to us by private sector tenants, landlords and property/business owners. If you are a tenant or landlord of a private rented property, a homeowner or business/community provision, and you would like assistance and guidance with Anti-Social Behaviour concerns, then please get in touch with the team.

To deal with your complaint as effectively as possible we will need the following details from you:

• the nature of the complaint
• Your contact information and ideally address or at least the town/village within the borough you reside, or the behaviour is occurring so as we can allocate to the correct Coordinator
• how long it has been happening
• what times and days it occurs
• has it been reported to the police or other agency
• any background information that may explain why the person/people you are complaining about may be behaving the way they are.

Social Housing Tenants

The Anti-Social Behaviour Team generally do not open cases for residents who are tenants of housing associations as they have their own policies and procedures in place to tackle reports of Anti-Social Behaviour, they are also able to act under tenancy agreements in most circumstances.

However, where cases may be more complex, or the reports include Neighbourhoods/Communities that are a mixture of both private and social housing residents then the Anti-Social Behaviour Team will work alongside the relevant housing associations and agencies to address the issues. We work closely with the housing associations who know to contact the Anti-Social Behaviour Team if they feel we can support them with the concerns raised in any way.

Link to main housing associations within Cheshire East:

• The Guinness Partnership
• Plus Dane Housing
• Peaks and plains housing trust
  
• Aspire housing
• Regenda Homes
• Muir Group Housing Association
• Your Housing

Contact Anti-Social Behaviour Team

Email your enquiry to the Anti-Social Behaviour team, ensuring you provide details of the area within cheshire east you live so as your case can be assigned to the appropriate coordinator without delay. We will aim to return your email within 5 working days.

0300 123 5030 (Voicemail facility only) - please leave a message ensuring you provide details of the area within cheshire east you live, so as your case can be assigned to the appropriate coordinator without delay. We will aim to return your call within 5 working days.