Dust

Dust can be an issue during construction and demolition work due to activities such as excavation, burning, blasting and vehicles using haul roads. It can also be an issue at quarries, waste facilities, ports and other industrial sites due to things like stack emissions, stockpiling and loading and unloading materials.

To check if dust is a statutory nuisance we consider:

• how much dust is affecting nearby properties
• how often the dust happens
• if the dust is impacting your enjoyment of your property
• what measures the company is already taking to stop dust arising from their activities
• the persistence of the dust problem – while dust can be a problem on building sites, they're regarded as temporary and as long as measures are being taken to control dust, we may struggle to prove statutory nuisance 

Find out more about how we determine if something is a statutory nuisance 

Ways businesses can reduce dust

If you've reached out to the business about the dust issue, or are planning to, you could politely suggest they use one or more of these methods to reduce dust:

• wash wheels at site entrances and exits
• spray haul roads and stockpiles with water
• reduce speeds on haul roads
• seed stockpiles for long-term cover or with bonding agents
• put sheets on vehicles
• use sealed or sheeted containers or skips for waste materials
• put up barriers or sheeting around works
• use chutes to move materials
• fit and maintain a grit and dust stopping plant

Make a complaint about dust

If the dust issues continue, make a complaint using the contact details below.

You can also take private action and complain to the magistrates court about the dust.

Contact us

Contact the environmental protection team for your local area.