Residents in a leafy Surrey cul-de-sac claim they have been told to keep the noise down during their weekly clap for NHS workers.
Lead by Perry Clark, the locals in Ashford, Surrey, have been singing along to You’ll Never Walk Alone and We’ll Meet Again, played through a loudspeaker every Thursday evening after clapping for the NHS.
But Heathrow worker Mr Clark claims he has now been asked to pare back the noise following a complaint.
Spelthorne Borough Council said it fully supports ‘clap for carers’ events and has encouraged people to show their support to key workers.
It said a complaint had been received and related to ‘other ongoing noise issues from the property at different times of the day.’
The locals in Ashford, Surrey, have been singing along to You’ll Never Walk Alone and We’ll Meet Again, played through a loudspeaker every Thursday evening after clapping for the NHS. Pictured, Spelthorne Borough Council offices
Staff from the Royal London Hospital take part in the ‘Clap for our Carers’ campaign
Mr Clark, 54, told The Sun: ‘It’s a real slap in the face. I’ve used my speaker since the start of all this and everyone here loves it. We just want a good time.
‘We stand outside and have a singalong as a community for less than half an hour. It means a lot to people during the crisis.’
Gillian West, 77, told The Sun: ‘We’re not sure who complained but it’s a ridiculous thing to do. We’re not having parties or anything. We’re doing the same as everyone else in the country by showing our support. For the council to say to keep it down is wrong.’
Spelthorne Borough Council said it has a statutory duty to investigate a noise nuisance.
A spokesman said the letter was not related to noise from the ‘clap for carers’ but was sent as an initial notification that a complaint had been received and related to other ongoing noise issues from that property at different times of the day.
The spokesman added: ‘We would like to make it very clear that we would not take any action, including sending standard letters, in relation to complaints relating to the ‘clap for carers’.
‘The standard letter that was sent to the property concerned was only to advise that a complaint has been received, and to reiterate, this was absolutely not sent in response to a complaint about clap for carers.’
Nursing staff participate in a minutes applause as they look out from a window at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow
This comes after a barman who has been singing to neighbours to lift spirits claims he was told he was ‘too noisy’ by a local council.
Charlie Reeve has also been performing to raise money for the hospice where his mother Pauline died, but was sent a letter informing him one neighbour had complained.
Mr Reeve, who sings after the Clap of Carers every Thursday night, carried on despite the letter last week.
The 33-year-old performed a string of songs including Stand by Me, by Ben E King, Amy Winehouse hit Valerie and Coldplay’s Fix You.
Mr Reeve was praised by his neighbours in the street in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.
He also raised £290 for Mountbatten Hospice in Newport where his mother died last year aged 63 from ovarian cancer.
Mr Reeve got the letter from the environmental health department for Isle of Wight Council last Monday.
Charlie Reeve has been performing to raise money for the hospice where his mother Pauline died
Mr Reeve, who sings after the Clap of Carers every Thursday night, has also been asked to stop his performances
It read: ‘A complaint has been received alleging that loud music is being played which is causing a nuisance to neighbours. If there is any substance to this allegation I should be pleased if you would take all practice steps to ensure noise is kept to a minimum.’
Mr Reeve said: ‘I was a bit disheartened by the complaint. I’m just upset that someone couldn’t have come to me and said it was too loud or could you cut it short.
‘But they decided to waste the council’s time as a good few people have enjoyed it. I did it this week and set up a donation page and had a donation bucket for the Mountbatten Hospice.
‘It is where my mum passed away. The NHS is important but I wanted to do it for them too.’
An Isle of Wight Council spokesman said: ‘The council has not stopped Mr Reeve from playing music on Thursday nights to coincide with Clap for Carers.
‘Our letter was letting him know that at least one of his neighbours would prefer that he did not continue the music for the remainder of the evening, and has made a complaint. If a complaint is received, we have a duty to respond to the complaint.
‘It is our normal practice to get in touch with the person concerned so they are aware that somebody has made a complaint, and so they can, if they want, contact us and hopefully avoid the need for any further action.
‘We will be happy to explain further to Mr Reeve what the situation is, and we hope to help him find a way he can carry on celebrating our carers without upsetting his neighbours.’
- Have you received a noise complaint after clapping for the NHS? Email amie.gordon@mailonline.co.uk