The story of the supermarket manager who is introducing an hour for quiet shopping in his Asda store on a Saturday morning has received widespread attention. Initially inspired by observing a mother struggling to shop with a boy with autism, the move has been met with overwhelming approval by other customers. Having talked to parents of children with autism, he wants to provide respite for shoppers and their carers, where increased sensitivity to noise makes […]

Now is the time for getting to grips with the garden. Pottering in the garden can be peaceful, but power tools used for mowing, blowing and chopping can blight your whole neighbourhood with noise. Whether you have a small city space, a suburban garden or an allotment, if you’re pulling out the power tools ready for a session this week, remember gardens don’t have walls and your neighbours will hear what you’re doing. While power […]

With the night time economy seen as the saviour of many cities – would Night Mayors bring harmony between the sleepless and those wanting to sleep? With the late night bars, buses, kebab shops and clubs that keep our cities lively we also get noise. How can the sleep rneeds of workers (maybe the cleaners and street sweepers who rise as the revellers head to bed) be reconciled with the lifestyles of 24 hour party […]

From today, 6 April 2016, planning legislation has been amended to ensure that noise impacts from nearby commercial activity is taken into consideration before change of use of an existing building from office to residential use can be carried out. This amendment to the permitted development right brought in April 2013, is being welcomed by music industry campaigners who have blamed noise complaints for putting many small music venues under threat of closure. While Environmental […]