Together with our partners, the Council are introducing a pilot scheme for reporting the effects of cannabis odour for residents of Ipswich. This pilot will be effective for 9 months.
If cannabis odour from a nearby residence is affecting you and you are not able to resolve the matter informally, you can report this to us online if:
a) The issue is of a persistent nature and affects your household
b) The odour is having a detrimental effect on you, or your family’s, quality of life.
Before reporting
Before you report an issue of cannabis odour to us, please consider speaking to the person causing the problem.
Often issues arise because the person causing the problem is not aware that their behaviour is affecting you. If it's safe to do so, talk to them and try to resolve the issue. It's advisable to do this after the event and not while its ongoing when emotions could be running high.
If this doesn't work, you don't feel comfortable talking to them or the issue continues, you can report it to us.
Please note, we are unable to deal with complaints regarding cannabis odour on the street or in public places.
When reporting an issue to us
It helps us to assess the situation if you can provide as much information as possible.
What happens next
Once we have received your Cannabis odour report, we will undertake the following:
1. Acknowledge and assess your complaint - our aim is to respond within 7 working days.
2. If a threshold for action is not met, as listed in parts a) and b) above, you will be notified that no further action can be taken at this point, although we may be able to advise you further.
3. As part of the investigation, you are generally required to complete and return log sheets. Your details will not be shared with the source of the complaint at this stage.
4. If you are a tenant or a social landlord, we will refer details of your complaint to your Housing Provider who will use early intervention methods available.
The Council is only able to respond to incidents within the Ipswich Borough boundary.
If you suspect a residence is being used to cultivate cannabis or are aware of drug dealing, this needs to be reported to the police by calling 101, online or to CrimeStoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.
