Never mind the dawn chorus, at the start of summer increasing numbers of buskers come out of hibernation to entertain audiences on our streets. While their sounds might delight passers by, street performers have potential to cause concern for listeners in neighbouring buildings - shops, buisnesses, homes - who are forced to listen - sometimes for hours on end. Buskers are an integral part of the street scene in many city centres – bringing entertainment […]

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 […]

In recent years extension of pub licensing hours and liberalisation of licensing for live music has meant that there are a much wider range of opportunities for musicians to perform. However, increasingly, with pressure for housing, and development of inner city brownfield sites, many places where music is played are faced with the prospect of residential neighbours. Many traditional live music venues established themselves in premises in former industrial areas of city centres, with few, […]

While it might seem like a lot of effort on top of everyday workloads, raising awareness of noise and promoting solutions to noise problems can save time and money. Research recently published by Defra analyses the cost to local authorities of investigating noise complaints. Drawing on CIEH noise complaint statistics and the time taken to investigate complaints it puts the cost to a local authority of investigating a noise complaint at between £130 and over […]

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 […]

Noise in communities comes from many sources affecting all types of housing across all locations. Whether it’s poorly managed summer celebrations broadcast across the counties, urban venues and residents that shouldn’t be neighbours, or ill considered pastimes and parties - we can be disturbed and annoyed by noise where ever we are. This is why Noise Action Week, which aims to raise awareness of the issues and promote solutions, continues to be well supported by […]

Even moderate levels of noise (similar to a busy street) may damage hearing. Tracey Pollard is Research Programme Manager in the Biomedical research Team at UK charity Action on Hearing Loss. She tells us about ‘hidden hearing loss’ and some of the research Action on Hearing Loss is funding into noise-induced hearing loss. Hidden hearing loss Exposure to very loud sounds (such as a chainsaw) can permanently damage your hearing and cause significant hearing loss. […]

It’s that time of year when students of all ages need quiet time as they knuckle down to study for exams. Once exams are over, however, the end of term party season begins. This is a particular problem in areas with large student populations. Recent research on student accommodation requirements published in Landlord Today reveals that students want communal space. However, too often poor layout in properties means this space is next to the bedrooms […]

High-speed hand dryers are an engineering success story, chiming with the prevailing agenda of austerity and sustainability, but what is the trade off? As someone with normal hearing, Dr. John Drever found the new generation of power hand dryers in WC’s intrusive. On becoming a father he became aware of how the sudden triggering of aggressive sound in a quiet space can panic children and others sensitive to noise – prompting his investigation of the […]

Married to a snorer, specialist in sleep medicine and organiser of last week’s Stop Snoring Week, Marianne Davey knows that for most snorers and their bed partners snoring is no laughing matter. For bed partners who sleep with a snorer the most cited complaint is sleep disturbance. In clinical trials it was found that these bed partners suffered worse sleep efficiency, increased arousals and a greater percentage of lighter sleep than those with a non-snorer. […]