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This Month's headlines
July 2020 headlines
Dog kennels set for rejection
Planners are set to reject a planning application for dog kennels in Derbyshire.
Noise fears for large Birmingham block
EHOs have recommended refusal of a huge 203-flats development in Birmingham on noise grounds. Economic arguments have trumped ‘agent of change fears’.
Night noise trials halted
Central Government has stopped night time noise flight trials.
Wandsworth joins Heathrow fight
Following Heathrow’s announcement of its challenge to consent for a third runway, Wandsworth Council has joined other councils to fight the expansion fight in the Supreme Courts.
Stansted appeal to go ahead too
Stansted - like Heathrow - is to appeal a judgment preventing expansion.
Environmental progress omits noise
An annual progress report on environmental progress has been released alongside indicators - omitting noise. They are intended to measure progress of the 25 year Environment Plan.
Pavement licences: draft guidance
Government has issued draft guidance to accompany pavement licensing proposals introduced in the Business and Planning Bill rushed through to mitigate Covid.
Wandsworth secures pavement drinking under covid relaxations
Wandsworth Council secures al-fresco green light for Northcote Road’s pubs, bars and restaurants in Battersea. It has received approval to close the road.
Relaxation of construction working hours too
A second set of guidance on Extension of construction working hours is contained in the Business and Planning Bill .It allows extension of times that building can be carried out to make up lost time due to Covid restrictions.
Property tribunal mulls flat noise
Noise and nuisance has featured highly in a leasehold action against a flat owner.
Cambridge escapes sanction for river noise
The local authority Ombudsman believes Cambridge City Council acted correctly following a row between rowers and the operator of a generator.
Bristol criticised
Record keeping at Bristol City Council has been criticised by the local authority Ombudsman.
CPRE warns against planning relaxations
Boris Johnson’s advisor Dominic Cummings is understood to be behind the push to relax planning laws.
Article 4 directions in Birmingham preserve planning safeguards
Landlords in most of Birmingham who want to convert a property into a HMO will now have to apply for planning permission to do so across the city.
Eviction ban prevents nuisance enforcement
A landlords’ lobby group warn the continuing ban on evicting tenants makes it impossible to enforce nuisance provisions against rowdy tenants.
Noise camera trial problems
A minister has hinted that there may be problems with trials of roadside noise cameras. Highways England has been carrying out the trials to catch motorists with modified loud exhausts but has refused to release results.
Bad silencers
Norfolk Police checks in Norwich revealed that silencer problems - including deliberate alteration to make it noisier - 25 out of 63 vehicle defect offences.
Fiumicelli to Vanguardia
Dani Fiumicelli has left Temple to join Vanguardia as a technical director providing to support continued growth of the environment team.
Noise fears near Tata Steel site stops housing
Plans for 163 homes have failed at appeal due to noise concerns from the underused Tata steelworks in Corby.
Bats affected by road noise
Traffic noise was found to affect the behaviour of bats in a playback experiment.
Noise affects heart pumping
High occupational and night time noise can affect the ‘stroke volume’ - the amount of blood pumped each time the heart beats. Stroke volume decreases on non working days for those subjected to high noise at work, or at night.
Aviation respite due to Covid is valued
Almost 3,500 people took part in a survey organised by the No 3rd Runway Coalition.
Iccan releases one year reflections
The UK’s Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) has added its voice to calls to preserve the peace and quiet from planes due to the Covid crisis virtually halting flights.
HMO refused on air quality grounds
Reading Council has refused an 8-bed house of multiple occupation on air quality and noise grounds. Work is already underway at the former guest house.
Conflicting health results for road traffic noise
A long term large Danish study has thrown up contradictory results on road traffic noise, finding no health impact due to living near busy roads contrary to received wisdom.
Day nursery refused at appeal
Noise from children has led to a rejection of a day nursery for children in Sunderland.
New guidance launched for acoustics apprenticeship
The group behind a pioneering apprenticeship in acoustics has brought together the latest information, to signpost potential employers and candidates to the programme.
Noise and air quality study for Oxford
Researchers at the University of Birmingham and University of Oxford have secured £207,000 funding from the Natural Environment Research Council to investigate the impacts of COVID-19 related public health measures upon air and noise quality in Oxford.
Natural England queries noise damage of airport
Natural England is demanding further information on the noise impact of expansion proposals for Leeds Bradford airport. Leeds council is currently considering the planning application.
Electric strimmers promise quieter working
Network Rail is trialing new battery-powered hedge trimmers and strimmers that are quieter than their petrol-powered counterparts.