For over 20 years EPUK has co-ordinated an annual initiative to raise the profile of unhealthy noise and the impact it has on our physical and mental health. We took a quiet break at the height of the pandemic last year but are pleased to say we’re back! Noise Action Week is Back! 24th – 29th May After a quiet break during the pandemic Noise Action Week is back! The campaign coincides with lockdowns easing […]

The Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs say that activities during Noise Action Week are one of the best ways to tackle neighbour noise in Northern Ireland. They also recommend education, through the Noise Statistics Report, and the general work of district councils, to be appropriate ways of preventing noise issues. This advice is offered with publication of noise complaint statistics showing complaints in Northern Ireland rose by 13% last year. Noise Complaint Statistics […]

Many homeowners – particularly in areas popular with tourists – let their homes for a few nights or weeks to make some extra money. Most of the time this works for both visitors and homeowners. However, in some cases casual lets can cause noise and nuisance problems for neighbours. Earlier this year, the problem was highlighted in Liverpool, where student accommodation is now let to summer party people. This led councillors to pass a motion […]

Noise Action Week 2018 offers a timely opportunity for everyone involved in noise management – including local councils, housing providers, acoustics professionals as well as communities blighted by noise – to raise awareness of the cost of noise in our neighbourhoods to our health.   The week is also an opportunity for those involved in activities with the potential to cause noise problems – whether its building work or a music event – to demonstrate they’re […]

With all the noise about the general election there is a risk of local councillors not being heard. It is your local council that has direct responsibility for dealing with neighbourhood noise. At a time when services are strained and budgets tight – check if yor council candidates care about keeping the peace in your area. It is a big issue in many towns and cities – and the biggest source of complaints that councils […]

Research published by the government last week showed that more people than ever are bothered by noise. Nearly half the people surveyed said their home life is spoilt by noise to some extent and one in five reported their sleep is disturbed by noise. This makes Noise Action Week 2015, which aims to raise awareness of noise problems and promote practical solutions to noise, more important than ever this year. The week runs from 18th […]

Din from gyms, bars and brothels is nothing new – author and broadcaster David Hendy considers how the impact on society of global and historical soundscapes must inform our management of neighbourhood noise in today’s complex, crowded cities. A year ago, while recording my BBC Radio 4 series, I found myself at a busy road junction in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.  I could barely hear myself think, surrounded as I was by a […]

Buzzing boilers, banging builders, loud sex – Nick Handley,  Service Co-ordinator for West Sussex Mediation Service, sets out the extent of noise referrals and how getting neighbours talking can encourage better neighbour relations – and could prevent problems arising.  Noise nuisance is the number one topic for referrals to West Sussex Mediation Service in relation to neighbour disputes, the core business of the charity. The 87 referrals received by the service in 2012/13 is the […]

Pendie Wasswa is a freelance writer, human rights campaigner and mum of two – who has recently discovered the thin walls of city flats and  noise from anonymous neighbours. I love music, yes, but I LOATHE noise, however, I hate silence  – it makes me uncomfortable especially in a room of full of people. When I moved to Brighton, I thought I had made the right choice of having a good time within the vibrant, […]