Noise complaint reporting

'Souond Thinking' - a new report from CIEH combines analysis of local authority noise complaint data with Ipsos polling of more than 2,100 adults in England and Wales. Results show nearly a quarter of people polled say they are disturbed by noise regularly, while many believe the problem is getting worse. Report recommendations include calls for nationally consistent coding categories for noise complaints; a mechanism for councils to record and monitor emerging sources of noise as they develop; and guidance for councils undergoing Local Government Reorganisation to ensure consistent reporting systems. Paul Shields, IOA President, welcomed CIEH’s call for a more consistent approach, and recognition that “better data, as well as technical expertise and properly resourced environmental health services are essential for the effective management of noise and protecting public health and wellbeing from what has been recognised to be a neglected pollutant.”  Stephen Turner, former IOA President and currently a noise specialist and CIEH Vice President, said: “Monitoring noise complaints alone provides an incomplete picture about the adverse effects of noise, as we know some people choose not to complain even if they are highly annoyed, while the opposite can also be true. One of the next challenges for CIEH is to explore how complaint recording could be standardised and then reported more efficiently, covering both existing and emerging sources of noise.” 

See full report: CIEH Noise Survey and Sound Thinking Report