A quiet life in the countryside is under threat for artist Sue and her beloved rooster, Colonel. What began as a peaceful retreat has spiraled into a battle with local authorities, sparked by a single neighbor’s complaint.
The issue? Colonel’s crow. Not a celebratory burst of rural charm, but a disturbance deemed detrimental to the complainant’s “mental health.” The council’s response has been escalating, culminating in the threat of a community protection order – and the potential for Colonel to be seized and destroyed.
Sue moved to the small village of Aldeby three years ago, seeking the tranquility of a landscape teeming with wildlife. She began keeping chickens as companions, rescuing one initially, and didn’t realize Colonel was a cockerel until his distinctive crow began to echo through the fields.
Far from a nuisance, Sue saw Colonel as a protector for her hens, a vital part of the flock. He even proved successful in breeding, with Sue responsibly rehoming additional cockerels to manage the noise. She describes him as a “lovely character” and a cherished pet.
The initial complaint led to monitoring of Colonel’s crowing, meticulously documenting the early morning calls. Sue responded by soundproofing his coop and blacking out the windows, hoping to mitigate the disturbance. While it helped, a cockerel’s natural rhythm proved difficult to suppress entirely.
Despite her efforts, another letter arrived, escalating the situation with the threat of a community protection order and the chilling possibility of Colonel’s removal. Sue is now constructing a “bunker” around the coop, desperately seeking a solution to preserve her companion’s life.
Sue feels the council is prioritizing the sensitivities of newcomers over the established character of the countryside. She argues that the pursuit of silence is a “waste of taxpayers’ money” and a dangerous precedent for rural living. She believes those seeking peace should embrace the natural sounds of the environment.
The council maintains they attempted to work with Sue, offering advice on noise reduction. However, further complaints and evidence of the crowing’s impact within the complainant’s home led to the formal warning. The situation now hinges on Sue’s ability to demonstrably reduce the noise.
A petition supporting Sue and Colonel has already garnered 600 signatures, a testament to the community’s desire to protect their rural way of life. The fate of Colonel, and perhaps a piece of the countryside itself, hangs in the balance.
