EHJ July 2002, pages 204-205 Last month around 250 local authorities across the UK took part in Noise Action Day. Nick Warburton looks at some local projects that promote practical solutions to everyday noise problems

There is little doubt that in the hustle and bustle of modern life, the nation's capacity to produce noise is increasing. At the same time lower tolerance of neighbours and higher expectations of quiet have been cited for the rise in complaints.

During Noise Action Day last month, local authorities across the country participated in a wide range of projects which aim to promote communication and consideration between neighbours and educate and inform both noise makers and noise sufferers about noise reduction. Activities included promoting intruder alarm registration, solutions to barking dogs, tackling noisy tenants, and working with local schools to raise awareness of noise and its impact on neighbourhoods.

DRIVEN BARKING MAD
Staffordshire Moorlands DC promoted one of the most innovative activities during this year's Noise Action Day, co-ordinated by the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection. Environmental health officers working closely with pet behaviour expert Nicola Derrett focused their efforts on tackling the problem of barking dogs, the single biggest source of complaints to the council concerning domestic noise. Ms Derrett, who runs her own business, Pet Sense, at Oakamoor said that the key to changing behaviour was to tackle the root causes of the problem. "Take, for example, a dog that barks all the time when its owners are out. It may well be that the dog is anxious because it's ignored most of the time and isn't allowed into the house often. The answer, therefore, is to make the dog feel wanted," she explained.

During the day, Ms Derrett and EHOs staffed the council's publicity caravan at Leek Market Place and handed out advice leaflets to raise awareness of the problem. In a supplementary activity, dog warden Sam Degg offered microchip implants to owners who had brought their dogs to the caravan. The procedure cost £5 and enables the council to return stray dogs to their owners rather than place them in a kennel. Owners are charged for collecting dogs from kennels, so the procedure has a dual purpose as it also helps to tackle the additional problem of stray dogs. According to the council, the only drawback of the chips available from the caravan is that they cannot be used abroad and hence will not satisfy the requirements of the pet passport.

The council offered a number of additional services aimed at reducing dog-related nuisance, including the sale of dog collars and tags and poop scoop bags. The council is keen to stress the importance of owners cleaning up after their pets and has introduced a £50 fixed-penalty fine for anyone who flouts the law.

While barking dogs continues to be the largest cause of concern, the council also recognises the problems created by amplified music and intruder alarms, and as part of the day's activities, officers were on hand to offer free registration of intruder alarm key holders. The free registration places the emphasis back on the owner to take responsibility for disruption. In the event of a faulty alarm ringing during antisocial hours, the council will call the key holder and request that the alarm is turned off. The system removes the need for council officials to disconnect the alarm and saves the owner a charge of £40. Councillor Arthur Forrester, cabinet minister for environmental services said: "The whole aim of the day is to help reduce anti-social noise and allow residents to enjoy the peace and quiet they deserve."

STREET THEATRE
Like many councils across the UK, Blackburn with Darwen BC has noticed a steady rise in complaints relating to neighbourhood noise over the last five years. Last September, the council became the first local authority to receive the John Connell Award, set up in memory of John Connell OBE, the founder of the Noise Abatement Society. The award recognises the local authority that has done the "most to mediate and settle conflicts arising from noise complaints" (EHJ, September 2001, page 346). The council's award-winning project with five local primary schools, the Schools Noise Action Programme (SNAP), promotes better education on expectation of noise and more considerate behaviour.

This year, Blackburn with Darwen has sought a new and innovative way to promote noise nuisance. During the day, the council organised a street theatre held in Blackburn's main shopping centre, which was used to remind local people of the impact of noisy behaviour on the local community. In an interesting "role reversal", the theatre used a noisy elderly couple who were disturbing a young student with noises like loud pre-1950s music, a barking dog, DIY and vacuuming, to highlight how noise can be disruptive. School children from SNAP were invited to view the performance and to see their noise posters displayed.

Council staff were also on hand to distribute around 600 noise leaflets, which included ten tips on being a good neighbour. Last year, the environmental health department received over 5,000 enquiries relating to noise nuisance. As David Corry, EHO, points out, amplified music continues to be a major source of noise complaint in the borough closely followed by barking dogs. He says that many complaints are due to incompatible lifestyles and an unreasonably high expectation of quiet.

The event attracted media interest across the region. Denise Johnson, manager at the council's pollution control service, joined colleagues from neighbouring authorities to raise awareness of neighbour noise nuisance on BBC Radio Lancashire. She told listeners "neighbour noise is a huge and growing problem across our borough and the UK as a whole. It is vital that neighbour noise is addressed in the Government's proposals for a national noise strategy." In another media event, councillor Maureen Bateson posed with the street theatre actors for the Telegraph newspaper.

NOISY TENANTS
In another innovative project, Warwick DC launched a joint-initiative between the housing unit and the pollution division of environmental health. During the day, a number of interested parties, including councillors, members of the press, the police and tenants, were invited to a vacant flat in "the Crest" district in Lillington to witness the staging of a noise nuisance event followed by the seizure of noise-making equipment.

Although EHOs have already successfully prosecuted two tenants in the Crest, anecdotal evidence suggests that for every tenant who is prepared to contact the council, there are three or four who choose not to voice a complaint through fear of intimidation. The aim of the mocked-up scenario was to demonstrate the council's powers as both a landlord and as an enforcement body.

The event forms part of a wider range of management initiatives relating to anti-social behaviour that will be promoted in the Crest district, with particular emphasis on noise complaints in council-owned premises. Environmental health and housing officers have distributed information packs, including noise leaflets, to the 249 separate tenancies in the Crest. The leaflets detail a five-step procedure in the council's efforts to tackle noise issues.

The five-step process uses a graded approach in which the degree of formality used increases in proportion to the offenders' failure to respond reasonably. As the council is keen to point out, the repeat offender will not only face the threat of prosecution but will also face the prospect of eviction. Officers are confident that this approach will deal with "even the most determined noise maker".

EHOs and housing staff are also planning a follow up visit within eight weeks of each new tenancy to provide advice about noise nuisance and contact information if any problems arise. The council acknowledges that many tenants are reluctant to come forward to make a complaint, and for this reason, it has enhanced security arrangements in the Crest to improve the reporting and logging of nuisance incidents.

As Richard Hall, divisional EHO, the environmental health unit, points out, the new arrangements will enable EHOs and housing staff to gain access to information on the number and type of complaints being made by residents to the flat's security service. This will enable the council to take swifter action to tackle local noise issues. Warwick DC receives around 600 neighbour noise complaints a year.