RESIDENTS in Abbots Langley woken every Sunday to noisy morning worship can now rest in peace.

A religious group known as The Ark moved out of their rented premises in Langley Road on Thursday, June 6, after environmental health officers served a noise abatement order.

Residents had complained the group, which was using the Scout hut for its meetings, were causing a disturbance. Three Rivers District Council also received reports about cars blocking driveways.

A spokesman for the council explained the authority had been writing to The Ark since last year, informing them they would need to apply for a change of use to use the building for public worship.

The authority was looking at taking planning enforcement action against the continued use of the building by The Ark when a noise abatement notice was served.

Following the complaints about noise, an environmental health officer had carried out a site visit in April and found singing and general worship to be "clearly audible" in residents' houses on more than one occasion and for more than several hours.

A resident of Langley Road, who wished to remain anonymous, said complaints had been made to the council a year ago.

She said: "You could not sit out there in the back garden. The racket was unbelievable with the drums and musical instruments. It was just irritating. You could hear it in the house. Everyone was fed up with them."

The group were given two months to leave the premises.

June 28, 2002 12:30