Commentary: Treat neighbour noise as a public health issue

Commentary: Treat neighbour noise as a public health issue

The task then is the way to prove the sounds “unreasonable and substantially” interferes with home life or is “prejudicial for you to health”. A 2016/2017 UK study mentioned nearly 280, 000 statutory nuisance grievances in one year was about noise, however , less than 3 per cent resulted in abatement orders.

At night, complaints about sound above permitted amounts but are not a statutory nuisance can also bring about warning notices. However the quality and quantity of night time noise observance varies considerably.

The UK’s broader noise insurance policy aims to minimise sound “as far mainly because reasonably practical”, choosing tools such as targeted traffic smoothing measures as well as rubber bin covers. Organisations, like the Sounds Abatement Society plus the UK Noise Alliance, and media sites, actively disseminate information about the health effects of sound.

The Netherlands tracks the proportion of population who will be highly annoyed from traffic noise and even aims to keep this percentage stable through lawful framework and instructions.

MAKING NOISES CONTROL POLICIES BETTER MADE

To guide environmental health care improvement efforts and make Singapore’s noise manage (including neighbour noise) policies more robust, an extra of our studies, circulated in the Journal in Environmental Planning in addition to Management, proposed a number of pillars.

First, allow information. Accurate information on the health impact of noise pollution and clear information on unacceptable noise disturbances and good community norms may help in reducing noise disputes.