EHJ November 2002, pages 332-334 Celebrating its second year, the 2002 John Connell Award recognises the work of three councils, each with a unique approach to tackling local noise issues. Nick Warburton reports

While surveys recently published by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) suggest that outdoor noise levels have not increased over the past decade (EHN 19, 24 May, page 1), environment minister Michael Meacher says that noise continues to spoil many people's home environments. The annual John Connell Awards, now in its second year, encourages local authorities to develop schemes which help to raise public awareness of noise problems and to help mediate and settle conflicts.

Such was the response from local authorities this year (282 entries) that the organiser, the Noise Abatement Society (NAS), decided to present two extra awards for highly recommended initiatives. The award's outright winner, Doncaster MBC (EHN 35, 13 September, page 9), and runners up, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Leeds City Council, were presented their awards by Mr Meacher at the Houses of Parliament on 25 September.

Pioneers in noise control

Doncaster MBC has been at the forefront of noise control for the last five years. Working with an acoustic company, the council was involved in developing a digital tape recording for use in monitoring noise. In a novel move, the partnership constructed a sound laboratory where nuisance noise could be played back to the noisemaker before either mediation or enforcement action was required. The process involves inviting noise offenders into the council to hear noise recordings, which are played back at the offending level. The policy, which also reminds noisemakers of when the offences took place and its impact on neighbours, has, according to John McCabe, senior EHO, contributed to a noticeable decline in lower-level noise nuisance.

In 1999, the council's use of the technology led to an award from the Association of Direct Labour Organisations/Municipal Engineering for innovation in service delivery. The council's best practice in noise action was also recognised two years later when it received the Charter Mark Award for excellence in public service.

According to Peter Wakeham, director of the NAS, a key reason why Doncaster MBC emerged as outright winner was these digital tape recordings. Another strong factor in influencing the decision to award Doncaster was the council's involvement in a health impact assessment (HIA), carried out during the planning application for the proposed Finningley airport in 2000. In a joint project between Doncaster Health Authority and Doncaster MBC, noise was identified as one of the key health impacts.

The airport, if it gets the go-ahead, will be built on a former RAF airbase, and will provide much-needed jobs in a former mining area blighted by deprivation. "Local people see the airport as an opportunity to regenerate the area," says Mr McCabe. The main negative impacts will be from noise and pollution affecting local residents.

In a move to minimise the negative impacts, the report recommends noise monitoring at the airport and a noise manager to monitor the measures, community response and complaints. It also recommends noise restrictions, bans on the noisiest flights and an airport environmental management scheme covering the monitoring of railway and traffic noise. The Secretary of State is expected to make a decision on the airport around Christmas.

In addition to these two initiatives, the council has been involved in a wide range of best practice activities. Throughout the year, the council's contribution to noise control has been given wider exposure in both the national and regional media. In February, the BBC used Doncaster's noise team for its Sounding Off programme and the council has also recently appeared on Radio Sheffield and BBC's Kilroy.

Be responsible with noise

Local councils have often targeted children with noise-related initiatives in an effort to educate people at an early age about noise nuisance and its impact. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, one of the two winners of this year's "highly recommended individual initiative award", was among those involved in a school-linked programme through its participation in the local metropolitan police's "junior citizen" initiative.

The environmental health directorate has contributed to this annual educational event since 1996, promoting a noise display/presentation entitled "Be responsible with noise!" Consisting of a twofold message under the headings "hear today, deaf tomorrow" and "noise annoys", the initiative targeted nearly 1,000 children this year from over 20 borough schools.

The awareness-building display and presentation began with a shouting competition to introduce the children to the concept of noise measurement. A certificate was awarded to the loudest pupil. The children were also shown a large sculpture of the human ear, together with simulations of deafness and tinnitus, to explain how ears can become damaged by excessive noise and what it sounds like when your hearing is damaged.

To emphasise the impact of noise on neighbours, the council's noise and nuisance team showed children a model doll's house in which a number of everyday scenarios were displayed, including a party scene, barking dogs, builders, traffic and people trying to sleep. In an effort to raise awareness of noise problems, the children were asked to identify activities which had the potential to lead to noise nuisance.

According to Andrew Mitchell, principal EHO, the project offers a number of immediate and long-term benefits to children. "[Junior citizen] supplies structured learning for children at an impressionable age and represents a very powerful way of injecting health messages into the community. Immediate benefits can be reaped as children modify their own behaviour and influence that of their friends and family." Mr Mitchell also says that junior citizen is invaluable to staff: "This year included a number of new recruits who have benefited from learning about noise and also learning how to explain potentially complicated subjects in a simple way."

Out of hours noise service

Leeds CC, the second "highly recommended" award, has introduced the region's first "out-of-hours" noise service (EHN 28, 26 July, page 9), which has led to a dramatic improvement in the council's noise service since its inception last year. Prior to the introduction of the weekend and night-time service in April 2001, no specific publicity had been given to the council's noise service. According to Phil Gamble, principal EHO at Leeds, any noise complaints were dealt with by standard letter, resulting in few visits and poor customer satisfaction.

During the first year of the scheme, in a unique marketing campaign, a credit card-size flyer displaying the hours of operation and a contact number for the service was sent out to households across the area. The promotional activity has led to a flurry of media coverage over the last year. During 2002, the council has made seven appearances on local radio, had widespread coverage in the local press - including a full-page article in the Yorkshire Evening Post - and two short pieces in the nationals.

On noise action day 2002, part of the council's activities involved visiting Leeds Metropolitan University to raise students' awareness of noise issues, both as suffer and perpetrator, and to promote the service among student sector landlords. Like the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Leeds has also targeted local schools, and while only one school took part in noise action day, Mr Gamble says the activity was a great success. The council plans to follow it up next year and hopes to encourage more schools to participate.

In a further development, a noise-specific customer satisfaction survey was set up, with feedback from customers used to introduce further improvements to the service. As part of the process, questionnaires were sent out to alleged noise perpetrators to get their opinions of the service. A noise website has also been created, which provides information on the council's services and enables alarm key holders to register and complaints to be made.

A scrutiny board report in May 2002, detailing the first year of operation, has revealed some remarkable results. Since the service's launch, there has been a doubling in the number of domestic noise complaints received. This has led to a 412 per cent increase in enforcement action, and the service's income has increased by 800 per cent. Furthermore, the introduction of the service has resulted in a 57 per cent drop in noise incidents that are dealt with by the police. This has freed up 1,940 hours of police time, saving the force an estimated £46,957.

According to Mr Gamble, "there is demand every night of the year and strong customer demand for expansion of the service." Since 1 April 2002, the council has met this demand, operating the service seven nights a week. Commenting on the role of the John Connell Award in raising awareness of noise nuisance, Mr Meacher says: "This awards scheme is an excellent way to encourage and promote innovation in helping to solve local noise problems. This complements government strategies to increase public awareness of the problems posed by noise and to help educate people about the effects noise may have on their lives, and what they can do about it."

To find out more about the award winners' projects, contact the following people:

• Doncaster MBC - John McCabe on tel: 01302 737582 or Dave Craven, principal EHO,
  on tel: 01302 737567.
• London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea - Andrew Mitchell on tel: 020 7341 5624.
• Leeds City Council - Phil Gamble on tel: 0113 247 6230.
• For more information on the John Connell Award contact: Peter Wakeham, NAS, on tel: 01273 682223.