Anti-social behaviour (ASB) covers a wide range of unacceptable activity.
We use the following definition from the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014:
"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."
There are 3 different groupings of ASB:
- personal anti-social behaviour: when a person targets a specific individual or group
- nuisance anti-social behaviour: when a person causes trouble, annoyance or suffering to a community
- environmental anti-social behaviour: when a person’s actions affect the wider environment, such as public spaces or buildings
Our teams
We have several council teams to tackle ASB.
Anti-social behaviour enforcement team
Our ASB enforcement team manages:
- our response to high-level ASB
- support for our most vulnerable victims
- securing evidence and building cases to take enforcement action against our highest harm and most complex ASB cases
Tenancy anti-social behaviour team
Our Tenancy ASB Team and wider Tenancy Teams manage all standard level ASB within our council housing, estates and neighbourhoods caused by our council tenants and leaseholders.
Noise nuisance and licensing enforcement team
Our noise nuisance and licensing enforcement team tackle both ASB relating to noise, smoke, fumes and smell under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 prioritising cases that cause the highest harm. This team also investigate and uphold the 4 licensing objectives under the Licensing Act 2003 which are:
- prevention of crime and disorder
- public safety
- prevention of public nuisance
- protection of children from harm
Community safety team
Our community safety team works closely with key internal and external partners such as the police and probation service. The team delivers partnership responses (such as days of action) to address thematic and geographic issues linked to wider crime, disorder and ASB.