Common issues may include arguments over parking spaces, boundary disputes, and cleanliness of communal areas, although by far the number one reason neighbours fall out is noise. 48% of neighbour disputes are reported to be because of noise nuisances (1), with pets, loud music, and low-level ASB being the most common of this kind.

And, while none of these may seem like major issues to begin with, through our experience over the last twenty years, we often find that people follow the same patterns of behaviour that could lead them towards needing mediation.

For example, when we approach conflict of this kind:

• We often leave addressing the issue until it is simply too late: only when we get to the final straw, do we shout over the fence or confront them on their own doorstep

• There is an expectation of a win/loss outcome, so conflict is approached with aggression and a determination to make sure that we are the ones who “win”

• We often find ourselves retaliating in a petty “tit-for-tat” way – for example, turning up our own music to give them a taste of their own medicine – rather than addressing the conflict in a constructive and positive way

This is where mediation can come in, giving both parties a chance to walk towards conflict more constructively, to listen to what each other has to say, and to come up with a shared solution that is beneficial for everyone involved.

And, due to the structure, aims, and objectives of mediation, it can lend itself incredibly well to resolving neighbour disputes. For example, during the process:

• Each person can see and hear from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, how the other has been affected by the dispute, helping to build empathy and understanding

• We can defuse anger and frustration in a non-damaging way, through a structured process with boundaries in place, that won’t have repercussions down the line

• We can use re-framing to shift blame to responsibility, move away from past events to future actions, and shift from positions to underlying interests

And, in the past decade, more and more local authorities and housing associations have begun tuning into the benefits that neighbourhood mediation can offer.

Here at UK Mediation, we run several Service Level Agreements with large housing associations, as well as regularly delivering our accredited neighbourhood mediation training for forward-thinking organisations. This way, they can have their own internal panel of neighbourhood mediators, on-hand and on-call to resolve disputes at the earliest possible opportunity.

One such client, Derwent Living, has seen great success with their customer mediator project, whereby residents work alongside staff to resolve neighbour disputes between tenants. We first trained them back in 2014 and we have since carried out multiple deliveries of our Level 4 course to both residents and staff, in order to train them to resolve neighbourhood disputes.