A planning application for developing a former rental garage next to a well known music venue and pub in Brighton has been refused by a unanimous vote. An application for a building including holiday lets was previously turned down. This submission was for a four storey office block. The applicants’ agent, told the Brighton and Hove City Council planning committee his client had responded to concerns about noise by removing holiday lets from the plans to make the building a solely commercial site. He said:

The latest noise complaint statistics for Northern Ireland show a 14.5% drop in complaints for 2022 – 2023 compared to the previous year, with 10 out of 11 councils reporting a decrease.  Belfast City Council received the highest level of complaints - 16.54 complaints per 1,000 people, with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council  receiving the fewest - 2.14 per 1,000 people. There has been a 34.6% decrease in the number of notices served this year compared to last year (225 served this year and 344 in 2021/22).

The Department for Transport are consulting on updating the type approval for GB vehicles. Before they go on sale, new types of vehicle are tested, enabling government agencies to ensure manufacturers are producing vehicles that comply with safety and environmental laws. The UK is signed up to comply with certain UNECE (The United Nations Commission for Europe) regulations, enabling UK made vehicles to comply with international standards.

How the science of acoustics is transforming our built environment to become inclusive, comfortable and a pleasure to use

Today, the IOA publishes its new Building Acoustics Supplement 2023, which is available freely on the IOA website and via social media links. 

Building Acoustics explores the importance of acoustics in the built environment, and how acoustics should be considered right at the beginning of a project.  It also discusses the vitally important effect of noise on buildings users’  health and wellbeing.