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Noise Action Week 19th - 20th May 2014 – is here to help

Noise is never out of the news for long – whether it’s Brian May’s bother with Kensington basement builders or suburban dog owners being fined for neglecting barking pets.

The evidence against noise is clear – last year housing think tank Hact¹ found noise has a greater impact on people’s happiness than vandalism or condensation.

A recent report on environmental groups² found only 0.6% of their resource goes to tackling the local issues like noise, air and water pollution,and a Freedom of Information request found noise is the number one complaint to our councils, with over 200,000 complaints lodged³ in just 9 months of last year.

That represents quite a burden on council tax payers – so it’s in all our interests to reduce noise – prevention is a cost effective way to address noise problems.

During the week:

• Elmbridge Council will be launching a noise app
• Incommunities Housing and Bradford Council will be running local information points
• Cheltenham Borough Homes will be providing information around estates
• Ipswich Council are holding a fun day themed around noise

See our website for more activities and information on noise.

More: Mary Stevens, NAW co-ordinator
[email protected]
web: http://www.noiseactionweek.org.uk Twitter: @NoiseActionWeek
http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/

Noise Action Week^TM is co-ordinated by Environmental Protection UK
NAW in Scotland: http://www.ep-scotland.org.uk/policy-focus/noise/

1. http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2013/dec/10/housing-problems-happiness-space-noise-research
2. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/27/1-in-10-uk-adults-environmental-group
“Only £5.7m or 0.6% of the total spend by the groups went towards air, noise and water pollution, even though the evidence suggests this is costing Britain more than £10bn a year in healthcare costs, and together receive more complaints than anything else.”
3. http://www.noiseactionweek.org.uk/proposed-new-asbo-laws-concern-noise-professionals#respond
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/10704950/Scilly-Isles-and-Fife-top-best-and-worst-locations-survey.html

ENDS