Fundamental change to nuisance law: Coventry v Lawrence

The law of nuisance has developed through case law over the last two centuries. Although, in a time where industrial activities are increasingly regulated under different regulatory regimes, the Court of Appeal case of Barr v Biffa [2012] EWCA Civ 312 illustrated the continuing relevance and commercial importance of this area of law.

The Supreme Court has reviewed the law of nuisance in the case of Coventry v Lawrence [2014] UKSC 13. It has made fundamental changes to long-established principles of the law of nuisance.

This case is of significant importance to those carrying out activities that create noise (or other impacts such as odour and other emissions) and those who are affected by such activities, as well as local authorities and developers.

The key facts are set out in the timeline below.