A word on…noise pollution
Peter Wilson, Technical Director at Echo Barrier, and Dusan Durdevic, Associate Director at Urban Thinking, address the dangers of noise pollution, its effect on public health both physically and mentally, and how construction firms need to take noise abatement seriously to avoid disruption to the communities they are developing, or face heavy fines and negative publicity.
London is getting louder. Locals are growing more frustrated with nuisance noise and businesses are paying the price as a result through mounting calls for greater penalties. While no responsible construction firm has ever doubted the risks noise brings – there has never been a more important time for them to act than now. Public opinion to nuisance noise is changing. It is no longer the case that people grin and bear the din of the odd local construction project. The noise across London is incessant and it is taking its toll. Indeed, it is something the press continue to pick up on, with tabloids regularly exposing the harmful levels of noise locals are subjected to in their daily lives – be it on their daily commute or in the comfort of their own homes.
Legal parameters
Peter Wilson, Technical Director of noise abatement solutions manufacturer Echo Barrier, has worked as an acoustic engineer for more than 30 years and said pressure is mounting on the construction industry to act. He said: “Construction firms will
be no strangers to the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Environmental Protection
Act 1990. At Echo Barrier, our job is to provide acoustic solutions that help keep noise on construction, demolition, utilities and highways sites within legal parameters. That means we have seen first-hand how failure to implement noise abatement measures on sites can prove catastrophic for businesses. And the reality is it will become even more common should businesses not act now.”
Noise pollution was labelled a genuine threat to public health by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2011, with a recent study from the UK Health Security Agency going as far as warning it is reducing life expectancy.
Peter added: “Just because its effects are often more mental than physical doesn’t mean the authorities take noise pollution any less seriously than any other threat we face. Firms who fail to comply to regulations are therefore punished accordingly through fines that have the potential to topple businesses, particularly smaller contractors. But the public are demanding more to combat an issue that is having a genuine impact on their lives.”
Headaches
Growing frustration among local residents could see additional headaches for developers during the planning process, with local authorities under increasing pressure to ensure noise pollution is carefully considered for every project.
Dusan Durdevic, Associate Director at London based urban impact agency Urban Thinking, agreed that noise pollution is one of the greatest challenges the construction industry faces.
He said: “We are seeing a higher demand for Section 61 notice applications and noise monitoring, as well as calls for greater transparency and continuous dialogue with communities and stakeholders regarding the noise impact necessary projects will have.
“Companies who do not apply for Section 61 notices are putting themselves at a real risk of damaging relations with the communities they are operating in. Those who do not understand the importance of putting forward extensive, detailed applications are equally open to delays and being viewed by stakeholders as overlooking legislated best practice. Of course this problem is not entirely unique to London. Our urban landscape is changing and cities across the country are becoming increasingly louder.”
Dusan concluded: “If the moral duty to protect your communities through noise abatement isn’t enough to inspire change, then the weight that delays and stop work orders may have on a company’s reputation and bottom line certainly should be.”
