This page answers questions that the Community Gateway Association (CGA) regularly gets asked.

My neighbour plays loud music all night. How can the CGA help me?

Please contact our Community Safety Team. Our team can visit you at home, and explain what can and can't be done under the tenancy agreement. We can arrange this visit out of normal office hours if this is more conveniant for you. We can provide you with incident report sheets (like a diary) so that you can record what is happening, how often and at what times. We can also provide dictaphones for those people who may struggle to complete written reports. By recording this information, you are helping the CGA to assess the case and work out whether legal action can be taken against the person causing the nuisance.

In very bad cases, the CGA may issue a written warning under the tenancy agreement and call the tenant in for interview. As a last resort, we will consider legal action with a view to repossessing the offender's home.

The Council's Environmental Health service also has powers to serve a legal notice against a resident causing noise nuisance. If someone is served with a notice and doesn't comply with this, the Council could potentially seize the stereo equipment - or even prosecute the person. You can contact the Council on 01772 906163 in office hours, or 01772 794728 at evenings and weekends.

Someone has dumped rubbish on the corner of our street. How can we get it removed?

Preston City Council is responsible for dealing with this, so please report to them direct. And if you know who dumped the rubbish, please let the Council know. They can fine people who do this - and people who repeatedly dump rubbish. could be prosecuted through the magistrate's court, or served with an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO).

If the person dumping rubbish is a Community Gateway Association tenant, please let us know too. Repeated rubbish dumping is a breach of the tenancy agreement, and the CGA could take legal action.

In some cases, the CGA's Community Assistants will go round to clear minor problems. But it's not part of our day job, just one of the extra things we do to work with residents in keeping neighbourhoods clean and safe.

Youths keep riding motorbikes around our neighbourhood, causing a nuisance. What can be done about it?

Initially, you need to let the Police know, as they can fine the people concerned. They may be able to confiscate the bikes, if people are riding around without a helmet or a licence.

If the person concerned is a CGA tenant, or a relative of a tenant, you should also let us know. In some cases, if there is proof that continued nuisance is having a bad impact on people's quality of life, the CGA can take legal action against the people concerned. We will also make sure that the Police are aware of the problem (if not already).

A member of my family has died. Will their tenancy pass to me?

It depends on your relationship to that person, how long you've lived with them and whether the tenancy has been passed on before. Please get in touch with our Gateway Direct Customer Service Team for specialist advice.