Press Releases
*PRESS RELEASE
28/09/2023 for immediate use
REPORT CALLS FOR NOISE REDUCTION TARGET
The UK Noise Association (1) is calling for the Government to introduce an overall noise reduction target. This echoes one of the key recommendations made by the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee into its report into noise and light pollution published in July (2).
In a wide-ranging manifesto (3), published to coincide with the party conference season, the UK Noise Association also backs other key recommendations of the Select Committee:
* An advisory panel to be set up to provide independent advice to the Government
* Local authorities to be adequately funded and monitored
The Association is calling for noise to be fully integrated into all policies and plans from the start.
John Stewart, chair of the UK Noise Association, said, “It is critical that noise is not an afterthought when the Government makes policy decisions. It must be integral to all decision-making. This will be particularly important over the next couple of years as big decisions will be made in areas like energy and transport. We hope some of the ideas in our manifesto will feed into the policies the political parties will be drawing up for the next election.”
Stewart added, “Our focus is on solutions. Generally, noise is a problem with solutions. We set out measures governments and local authorities can implement.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1). https://www.uknoiseassociation.com/
(2). https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldsctech/232/23202.htm
(3). https://www.uknoiseassociation.com/ukna-manifesto.html
For further information:
John Stewart: 07957385650; 0207 737 6641
28/09/2023 for immediate use
REPORT CALLS FOR NOISE REDUCTION TARGET
The UK Noise Association (1) is calling for the Government to introduce an overall noise reduction target. This echoes one of the key recommendations made by the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee into its report into noise and light pollution published in July (2).
In a wide-ranging manifesto (3), published to coincide with the party conference season, the UK Noise Association also backs other key recommendations of the Select Committee:
* An advisory panel to be set up to provide independent advice to the Government
* Local authorities to be adequately funded and monitored
The Association is calling for noise to be fully integrated into all policies and plans from the start.
John Stewart, chair of the UK Noise Association, said, “It is critical that noise is not an afterthought when the Government makes policy decisions. It must be integral to all decision-making. This will be particularly important over the next couple of years as big decisions will be made in areas like energy and transport. We hope some of the ideas in our manifesto will feed into the policies the political parties will be drawing up for the next election.”
Stewart added, “Our focus is on solutions. Generally, noise is a problem with solutions. We set out measures governments and local authorities can implement.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
(1). https://www.uknoiseassociation.com/
(2). https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5803/ldselect/ldsctech/232/23202.htm
(3). https://www.uknoiseassociation.com/ukna-manifesto.html
For further information:
John Stewart: 07957385650; 0207 737 6641
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INTERNATIONAL NOISE AWARENESS DAY 2023
26th April
Announcement of our Jack Pease Award
26th April
Announcement of our Jack Pease Award
New trial to banish loud engines and exhausts on Britain’s noisiest streets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Response from the UK Noise Association (30.4.22)
PRESS COMMENT
Embargoed until 9.30am 30/4/2022
John Stewart, chair of the UK Noise Association, said, "This is a welcome move. For many years we have had complaints from residents about excessively noisy vehicles. They will all be hoping to prove that their street is one of the noisiest so they can get the first batch of cameras!"
For further information contact: John Stewart on 07957385650
http://www.uknoiseassociation.com/
EXTRACTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT'S PRESS RELEASE (Below)
EMBARGOED UNTIL 09:30 SATURDAY 30 APRIL
"New trial to banish loud engines and exhausts on Britain’s noisiest street"
"A search for Britain’s noisiest streets has been launched by the Department for Transport, with four areas across England and Wales set to trial new phase two technology to help stop rowdy motorists revving their engines unnecessarily or using illegal exhausts.
Since the technology is in design phase, MPs are being invited to submit applications to trial new innovative noise cameras in their local area, helping to ensure communities can enjoy their public and residential spaces peacefully.
The technology, backed by £300,000, can automatically detect when vehicles are breaking legal noise requirements, helping provide police and local authorities with the tools and evidence to take action against drivers who flout noise laws. Police have existing powers, including the ability to issue fines, but currently have trouble gathering evidence.
The latest phase of noise trials builds on a 3-year programme to perfect the technology. Research shows noise pollution can have significant impacts on physical and mental health for local residents – with heart attacks, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and stress all linked to long-term contact with loud environments.
Excessive noise pollution can mean children struggle to get a good night’s sleep and hardworking people’s lives are made more stressful. In England alone, the annual social cost of urban road noise was estimated to be up to £10 billion a decade ago. This is the total economic cost of exposure to noise pollution, including lost productivity from sleep disturbance and health costs from heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
As set out in the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, complaints about noise are highest among the most economically deprived areas, with those in more disadvantaged areas as much as three times as likely to suffer from noise nuisance.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“We want those in Britain’s noisiest streets, who are kept up at night by unbearable revving engines and noisy exhausts, to come forward with the help of volunteer areas to test and perfect the latest innovative technology.
“For too long, rowdy drivers have been able to get away with disturbing our communities with illegal noisy vehicles. It’s time we clamp down on this nuisance, banish the boy racer and restore peace and quiet to local streets.”
The technology being used in the trial can provide real-time reports which police can use as evidence and may result in more targeted and efficient enforcement methods to crack down on noisy motorists. By testing this tech in rural and urban areas, the public can help develop the new road technology.
The trial led by the Atkins-Jacobs Joint Venture is formed by the two professional services firms to provide technical consultancy including acoustics expertise, design, modelling and asset management.
This follows commitments made by the Government to ensure that all parts of Britain have the same powers to deal with noise complaints, including providing them with effective tools for tackling incidents which constitute crime and anti-social behaviour and which can make life a misery for others.
Atkins-Jacobs JV Practice Director Andrew Pearce said:
“This scheme is a critical development for people living in areas affected by anti-social driving. It demonstrates how we can use technology to take a highly targeted approach to solving these problems.
“Testing different noise measurement technologies with a range of vehicles in this controlled environment means we can ensure tickets are only sent to drivers with illegal and anti-social cars or bikes.
“Highway authorities will be able to automate noise enforcement and get on top of the problem without using up valuable police resources.”
Existing legislation requires exhausts and silencers to be maintained in good working order and not altered so as to increase noise. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 42) the potential penalty for non-compliance with these requirements is a £50 on the spot fine.
Today’s announcement follows preliminary testing of a prototype noise camera by the Department for Transport back in 2019, which showed the technology can identify individual vehicles in certain circumstances and assign noise levels to them.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. DfT is targeting individual excessively noisy vehicles that are breaking vehicle noise requirements. This includes vehicles fitted with illegal exhausts or drivers revving engines unnecessarily. We are not targeting specific roads/streets that are noisy due to background noise (i.e. a busy motorway/A road) so will not be proposing any changed to speed limits.
2. The letter has gone our to all MPs in England and Wales.
3. Atkins-Jacobs will receive up to 300k to roll our the trials.
4. The original cameras experienced technical challenges including pinpointing which vehicle had produced the noise. The latest British and French technology is hoped to overcome these shortcomings with version 2.0 of the noise cameras ready to be tested in real-life.
ENDS
Follow us on twitter @transportgovuk "
PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed until 27th April 2022
NEW NOISE AWARD ANNOUNCED
To mark International Noise Awareness Day (1), the UK Noise Association has announced it will present The Jack Pease Media Award each year to the journalist, newspaper or other media outlet which has contributed most to the noise debate in a particular year. The award is in honour of Jack Pease who ran Noise Bulletin for 23 years from 1999 until its final issue in March this year (2022).
The first winner of the award is Jack himself.
Val Weedon, President of the UK Noise Association, said, "Jack has been the premier noise journalist of his time. He was the first port of call for noise professionals, politicians and campaigners."
Jack Pease described the award as "the icing on the cake" for his many years reporting on noise issues.
The award will be made on International Noise Awareness Day each year.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
(1) International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) was established by the Centre for Hearing and Communication (CHC) to raise awareness about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health and quality of life. Since its inception in 1996, INAD has grown to include participants in every state in the USA, as well as groups in countries on virtually every continent around the globe.
www.noiseawareness.org
For further information:
Val Weedon MBE 07508 002386
John Stewart 07957 385650
Embargoed until 27th April 2022
NEW NOISE AWARD ANNOUNCED
To mark International Noise Awareness Day (1), the UK Noise Association has announced it will present The Jack Pease Media Award each year to the journalist, newspaper or other media outlet which has contributed most to the noise debate in a particular year. The award is in honour of Jack Pease who ran Noise Bulletin for 23 years from 1999 until its final issue in March this year (2022).
The first winner of the award is Jack himself.
Val Weedon, President of the UK Noise Association, said, "Jack has been the premier noise journalist of his time. He was the first port of call for noise professionals, politicians and campaigners."
Jack Pease described the award as "the icing on the cake" for his many years reporting on noise issues.
The award will be made on International Noise Awareness Day each year.
ENDS
Note for Editors:
(1) International Noise Awareness Day (INAD) was established by the Centre for Hearing and Communication (CHC) to raise awareness about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health and quality of life. Since its inception in 1996, INAD has grown to include participants in every state in the USA, as well as groups in countries on virtually every continent around the globe.
www.noiseawareness.org
For further information:
Val Weedon MBE 07508 002386
John Stewart 07957 385650
