Why act to reduce noise?
Even drummers can act to reduce noise
Sound is part of everyday life and keeps our neighbourhoods vibrant. We all hear noise from neighbours and can all act to reduce noise at home. Noise disturbance often happens because people simply forget others can hear them – and many problems can be resolved by talking to neighbours and being aware of their lifestyles. Government research published in January 2015 found 48% – nearly half of us – feel our home life is spoilt by noise. It also found a fifth of people are kept awake by noise at night and many had complained about the noise.
Common noises disturbing, annoing or waking people up are:
- Loud music
- Loud TV
- Voices – indoors or in the street
- Slamming doors, walking on hard flooring
- Noise from licensed premises
- Noisy pets – barking dogs
- Household appliances – washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, fridges/freezers
- DIY/Building work
Extended opening hours
With working hours for shops, deliveries and construction sites permitted to extend as we move out of lockdown, there is more potential for noise disturbance to neighbours. We are urging and business extending its hours to be mindful of potential impact on neighbours.
> See our Reducing noise in the home page for examples of action you can take.
> If you are being bothered by excessive noise, see our Dealing with noise problems page.