Campaigning for action against noise

Events/Press Releases
UK Noise Association

PRESS RELEASE             for immediate use                                  1 January 2007

 

2007: THE YEAR OF THE NATIONAL NOISE STRATEGY

 

“probably the most crucial year for noise reduction”

 

The UK Noise Association is bracing itself for an active year of noise campaigning.  The government have promised to develop the first ever national noise strategy which they say will go out for public consultation in late Summer. This will also tie in with the European Noise Directive, which requires members states to produce noise maps and then develop action plans to reduce noise by the end of the year. 

 

Val Weedon MBE, National Coordinator for the UK Noise Association, says:

 

“This coming year is probably the most crucial time for noise reduction, certainly since I started campaigning just over 15 years ago.  Noise is something that has been given a very low priority by government. The national strategy is a big opportunity to change that.  All the surveys show that people are concerned about noise. The firework issue is an example of that, when thousands of people contacted their MP or wrote letters to newspapers expressing concern that the use of fireworks was getting out of control.  This massive public outcry led to new regulations being introduced.”

 

Throughout the coming year the UK Noise Association expects to:

 

· meet with Noise Minister Ben Bradshaw on the problem of traffic noise

· hold invitee only seminars on the issue of low-frequency noise, tranquil areas and traffic noise

· carry out public surveys to find out how the public feel about noise in general

· highlight issues such as piped music in the workplace; the problem of loud in-car stereos (known as boom cars); and

· continue its work on issues such as nuisance caused by mobile phones and further improvements to firework regulations.

 

The UK Noise Association will also be collaborating on noise issues with a number of key organisations and companies such as the RAC Foundation on road noise, Electrolux on reducing noise produced by products used in the home and USDAW (union representing shop workers) looking at the problem of piped music in the workplace.

 

Other dates for noise campaigners’ diaries will be International Noise Awareness Day on April 25th (1) and Noise Action Week planned for May 21st – 25th (2)

 

ENDS

 

(1) INAD 2007 is run by the League for the Hard of Hearing based in New York (www.lhh.org/noise)

(2) Noise Action Week is coordinated by the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (www.nsca.org.uk and www.noiseactionweek.org.uk)

 

Contact:   Val Weedon: 0207 329 0774  val@ukna.org.uk