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(2) Those arising from industrial, commercial and other operations, manufacturies and
businesses by way of machinery, plant handling, demolition, building operations, transport
vehicles, aircraft, etc.
Action with regard to Noise Nuisances—The Wilson Committee considered that the main aim
of legislation against noise should be prevention. In this connection appropriate action under the
Town & Country Planning Act may preclude the establishment of potential sources of noise
nuisance by the refusal of planning permission whenever application is made for them to be set
up. Problems of noise and air currents can be created by the erection of new buildings, especially
tall buildings which may give rise to the funnelling of sound and wind. In planning the Council's
own building projects due attention is given to these factors, but with regard to private developments
the Council's powers of control are limited.
All complaints of noise made to the Health Department are investigated. Not all prove to be
well-founded but where nuisances are found the vast majority are abated or the offending noise
reduced to a reasonable level by informal action. Two hundred and fifty-two (285) complaints
of noise were received during the year under review and these necessitated 1,141 (1,193) visits
by the public health inspectors. Many of the complaints related to noise occurring late at night
or at weekends and necessitated investigations outside normal office hours.
As is usual, noise coming from building sites or demolition and engineering works, and particularly
those involving pneumatic drills, compressors and pumps, accounted for a high proportion
of the complaints but it was again pleasing to find that almost all of the contractors concerned
co-operated readily in seeking and applying noise-reducing methods, even when some loss of
efficiency resulted or hours of working had to be restricted. Other complaints alleged noise from
sources such as machinery in workships and factories, garages, motor repairs, fuel-oil and other
delivery vehicles, banging of car doors, clubs, parties and social functions, noisy neighbours,
radio or record players, artificial ventilation plant, and animals.
Where persuasion fails and more formal action is necessary nuisances in Category (1) can in
many cases be effectively and rapidly dealt with
(a) by the Police or Local Authority using the Bye-laws, or
(b) by the persons aggrieved bringing proceedings through the Civil Courts.
Certain types of nuisances, however, such as the banging of car doors, present special difficulties
because of their transient nature and the fact that the offenders are quickly away from the vicinity.
The cumulative effect of many such incidents in one place spread over a period of time may nevertheless
constitute a very serious disturbance. This is particularly in evidence where large numbers
of people leave clubs and other places where they congregate at night, when it frequently happens
that noise from cars is also accompanied by shouting and loud conversation. The Police are often
called upon to deal with this kind of behaviour, and as the law stands they are able to do little
more than bring pressure to bear on the owners of the clubs or other premises to use their influence
with their clients, and to keep continued observation. The Wilson Committee recommended that
not only should new vehicles be so designed and constructed that their noise levels do not
exceed certain measurable intensities, and that it should be an offence for any vehicle on the
road to emit more noise than this, but also that drivers making unnecessary noise should be liable
to prosecution. This would enable legal action to be taken against drivers who do such things
as racing their engines whilst the vehicle is stationary.
Nuisances in Category (2) should be capable of being dealt with equally rapidly and effectively
by the Local Authority as those mentioned in Category (1), but they are not. By the nature and
effect of the Noise Abatement Act 1960 (Sec. 1) whereby any noise or vibration which is a nuisance
shall be a statutory nuisance, a Local Authority must have similar regard to noise as to any other
statutory nuisance in its assessment and in the decision to institute legal proceedings. The notice
and enforcement provisions contained in the Public Health Act 1936 apply and the process is
slow, cumbersome and inadequate to deal with transient circumstances or other conditions
calling for prompt and effective remedy.
Aircraft noise—This was considered by the Wilson Committee mainly in relation to the area
around London Airport and the conclusion was reached that there are only two practical ways
of improving the present situation, or possibly even maintaining it:—
(a) to reduce the noise of individual aircraft as new types come into service; and
(b) to provide houses near the boundary of the Airport with better insulation against noise.