Working with Reading Borough Council to Combat Noise Nuisance [Case Study]
Like all Local Authorities, Reading Borough Council has a statutory duty to look into any complaints of noise nuisance. With a population of around 155,700, it is one of the smaller boroughs in England but the range of complaints that come into its Environmental Protection and Nuisance Team are pretty varied; from music loving neighbours, crowing cockerels, howling hounds, even noisy budgerigars.
Anyone browsing ‘noise nuisance in Reading‘ will very quickly come across these questions on the Council’s website:
Are you being driven mad by persistent loud music from a neighbour? Is someone carrying out noisy DIY work late at night or early in the morning? Is there a noisy pub or shop nearby? Are barking dogs causing sleepless nights?
And their advice is loud and clear – “don’t suffer in silence”.
Reading Borough Council | Noise Nuisance Case Study
The Client: Reading Borough Council
Investigating Officer: Ross Jarvis, Senior Technical Officer in the Environmental Protection and Nuisance Team.
The Product: Trojan Noise Nuisance Recorder
The issue: Commercial and domestic noise nuisance complaints
The Trojan Noise Nuisance Recorder System
Ross Jarvis has been part of the noise nuisance team for 10 years and has seen a whole host of complaints cross his desk but with only a team of 4 to cover 24/7 there are literally not enough hours in the day for them. That’s where Cirrus’ Trojan noise nuisance recorder comes into its own.
“The team all work 5 days a week, 9-5, but inevitably we have complaints that come in after hours and weekends where we simply can’t spend hours waiting around to try and capture a noise nuisance that is infrequent or very short-lived,” he explained. “Having the Trojan as part of our team is like having another member of staff who doesn’t mind working the evenings and weekends.
“It has saved us so much time over the years and is so simple to use – you plug in, calibrate and then record. There certainly seems to be more awareness now about noise nuisance and we see complaints rise in the summer when more people are outside, more active, and they have their windows and doors open more often.
“The Trojan takes away the uncertainty of the if/when you will capture the noise and simply saves us having to camp out for hours on end in the hope of a recording – something the householder will be relieved about as well! It is like having a 24/7 on-duty officer.
“We are able to use the data and compare it to the diaries being kept by the householder to produce a very comprehensive picture of the noise levels and the source of the problem. We have found it particularly useful for things such as domestic music noise and car alarms which can be intermittent.”
Ross’s Top 3 likes about the Trojan:
- Simple to use – you can’t go wrong with it.
- Reliable – it has never let us down.
- Small & compact – it is very discreet for carrying around and installing.
Jaymee-lee Tolliday
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