Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is defined as ‘behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress’.
Examples of anti-social behaviour
Neighbourhood problems - these problems affect more people living in a neighbourhood such as graffiti and noisy groups of people meeting outside
Neighbour problems - these are disputes which can happen between two neighbours and cover complaints such as noise, verbal abuse, and intimidation
We take the issue of anti-social behaviour very seriously.
We are committed to making sure our neighbourhoods are peaceful, safe and secure places to live. We believe that everyone should be able to live in their home, free from crime, harassment, and unreasonable levels of disturbance.
Where needed we will work with you and other agencies to reduce bad behaviour that is serious and persistent. We will deal with all complaints promptly and decide which is the best course of action to end nuisance behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
Will I need to give my name and address?
Yes, we do prefer you to provide your details but these are not given to the person you are complaining about. We will not give your name or address to any other agency without your permission, unless there is a crime involved or children or a vulnerable adult are at risk.
Do I need to provide evidence of the nuisance?
Yes, you will need to supply details of the nuisance you are experiencing but we can arrange to meet you at a convenient location to discuss this. You might also be asked to fill in monitoring forms to record details of the nuisance.
What action will you take?
In many cases problems and disputes can be resolved through discussion with those involved. If a problem cannot be resolved there are a range of legal remedies we can consider for serious and persistent cases of anti-social behaviour.
Will I be kept informed of what is happening?
Yes, we will report back to you at regular intervals and let you know what is happening in regard to your case.
Will other organisations be involved?
Yes, where appropriate we will work with other organisations to address your problems and those of the people causing those problems. These organisations include the Police, Fire Service, Youth Services, Education Welfare, Environmental Services and Derbyshire County Council.
Will I have to act as a witness?
Where legal proceedings are necessary, you might be asked to be a witness. We will give you all the support we can and work with other partners, including the Police and Derbyshire Victim Support when appropriate.
What we will do
If you report anti-social behaviour, we will:
- arrange to talk to you in confidence - either by telephone or face to face in order to understand your problem more clearly
- decide how much risk you are at, and how urgently we need to deal with your complaint
- always contact you within five working days and usually less - in serious cases we will contact you within 24 hours
- discuss the situation with you and explain what action we can take
- give you the direct phone number and name of the officer dealing with your complaint
- support you whilst you are experiencing anti-social behaviour with the help of organisations such as the police and voluntary organisations.
- in serious cases consider legal action against those involved
- protect witnesses by all means available to us
- agree how you can contact us about further incidents, and keep you updated on how we are dealing with your case
Report anti-social behaviour
Let us know about anti-social behaviour in your neighbourhood.
We will need to know the address or the location of the property, and any issues that are happening because the property is standing empty. The more information you can provide, the easier it will be for us to investigate.
Protecting your privacy - find out how we keep your information safe.
Who deals with the anti-social behaviour report?
Both the housing enforcement officers and community safety teams deal with anti-social behaviour reports.
The enforcement officers deal with anti-social behaviour relating to a council tenant. The community safety team deal with all other anti-social behaviour reports.
Anti-social behaviour strategy
This strategy outlines Chesterfield Borough Council’s strategic intent with regard to preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour in Chesterfield and sets out how the council, in conjunction with other partnership agencies, will deliver anti-social behaviour services across the Borough of Chesterfield.
| Anti Social Behaviour Strategy |  (PDF 405 KB) |
The Community Trigger gives victims of anti-social behaviour the right to request a review of their case, if their concerns have not been dealt with, or acted upon, and organisations have been unable to resolve the serious persistent, or targeted, anti-social behaviour successfully.
FAQs - frequently asked questions
Expand allYes, we do prefer you to provide your details but these are not given to the person you are complaining about. We will not give your name or address to any other agency without your permission, unless there is a crime involved or children or a vulnerable adult are at risk.
Yes, you will need to supply details of the nuisance you are experiencing but we can arrange to meet you at a convenient location to discuss this. You might also be asked to fill in monitoring forms to record details of the nuisance.
In many cases problems and disputes can be resolved through discussion with those involved. If a problem cannot be resolved there are a range of legal remedies we can consider for serious and persistent cases of anti-social behaviour.
Yes, we will report back to you at regular intervals and let you know what is happening in regard to your case.
Yes, where appropriate we will work with other organisations to address your problems and those of the people causing those problems. These organisations include the Police, Fire Service, Youth Services, Education Welfare, Environmental Services and Derbyshire County Council.
Where legal proceedings are necessary, you might be asked to be a witness. We will give you all the support we can and work with other partners, including the Police and Derbyshire Victim Support when appropriate.
Hate crime
Find out how we deal with incidents of hate crime, and how you can be a considerate neighbour.
Websites for victims of hate incidents and hate crime
If you are a victim of hate crime you can get help and report the problem on the True Vision website.
The Citizen’s Advice Bureau website also provides helpful information and links to advice about hate crime.
Anti-social behaviour policy
Our anti-social behaviour policy explains our role in dealing with anti-social behaviour:
| Chesterfield Borough Council anti-social behaviour policy 2019 | (PDF 132 KB) |
What other help can you get?
You can get advice from other organisations, including:
Police
- Non-emergency enquiries: call 101
- In an emergency call 999 or 112
- Text phone (if you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment): 18001 101
Anti-social behaviour leaflet
You can download this anti-social behaviour information leaflet and share it with anyone that can't access the internet:
| Anti Social Behaviour Information | (PDF 413 KB) |