A new report published by ROCKWOOL has highlighted the need for better-designed homes built with high-quality materials to tackle noise pollution for those living in cities
The report found that noise pollution is a priority concern for people that live in cities, and can be a significant detriment to their well-being, mental health, and property choices.
In Manchester, two-thirds of residents said they would be deterred from buying or renting a property with noisy neighbours or high noise levels from an airport, railway, or similar.
Noise-induced stress is a real concern in cities
The same survey in Manchester revealed that over half of respondents have reported stress (57%), anxiety (54%), or physical health problems (51%) such as high blood pressure due to noise levels.
67% of respondents said that noisy neighbours specifically would put them off of a property, while 64% said persistently high noise levels would also deter them.
39% of respondents were concerned with heart disease, and 37% were concerned with strokes from noise levels.
By borough, Wigan and Bury had the highest levels of noise pollution, with 90% of residents in both saying that noisy neighbours and persistently high noise levels as reasons not to buy or rent a property. 51% of Bury residents had already invested in changes to their homes, such as insulation or double glazing, reducing noise pollution.
55% of Manchester residents have or have considered investing in changes such as external wall insulation to reduce noise pollution. 19% of Manchester residents went as far as to consider moving further away from the city centre.
More illustrative of the issue, less than half (48%) of Manchester respondents felt that their local representatives were concerned enough about the issue. This highlights that more people would like to see increased action to combat noise pollution.
The World Health Organisation has found that at least one million healthy life years are lost every year in Western Europe as a result of exposure to environmental noise, making it the second largest environmental cause of ill health, after air pollution.(1) (2) Studies have shown that exposure to unwanted noise can contribute to sleep disturbance, hypertension, and an increased risk of diabetes, dementia, stroke and heart disease.(3) (4)
More action on the acoustics of buildings is required to address noise pollution
Calls have come from the report to manage noise pollution in built-up areas more effectively, with David Ward, public affairs and policy advisor at ROCKWOOL, saying: “A well designed home, built with high quality materials, is fundamental to quality of life in so many ways. Noise is often a deciding factor when people choose where to live, so it affects those who don’t have much choice to an even greater degree.
“When councils are investing in healthy homes they’re investing in healthy communities. A healthier home can truly improve people’s lives, bring their bills down and save the NHS money in the long run. That’s why getting the insulation, materials, and design choices of a house right can be so important for improving people’s quality of life, reducing not only noise pollution but also alleviating issues like fuel poverty.”
Calls have come from the built environment as well, with the importance of a Section 61 agreement in the built environment being highlighted and reinforced earlier this year.
References
(1) Burden of disease from environmental noise, World Health Organisation, 2011
(2) State of the environment: health, people, and the environment, Environment Agency, 8 Sept 2020
(3) Noise impacts on health, Science for Environment Policy, January 2015
(4) Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, World Health Organisation, 2018
