|
The exact number of people living in houses and flats with poor sound insulation is unknown. The Government has never carried out a survey. But it has been estimated that 2.5 million people live in badly insulated homes (‘Wood Flaws’, by Jane Berry, London Evening Standard, 8th July, 1998). Poor sound insulation can cause real problems. Most of the time the neighbours are not being noisy. People affected say that they can hear simply their neighbour’s normal living activities – common sounds such as plugging in appliances, televisions, radios, talking, doors closing and walking across the floor. Sometimes people are able to put up with these noises. At other times they become unbearable, particularly in the modern world when people have so many noisy gadgets – washing machines, fridges, ever more powerful sound systems etc. The situation becomes even worse if the neighbours are also anti-social. There are numerous recorded incidents where a combination of poor sound insulation and anti-social behaviour has lead to violence Poor sound insulation is most commonly found in social housing, particularly where large houses have been converted to flats. These properties are usually owned by housing associations, though some are still in the hands of the local council. Of course, poor insulation can also be a problem in privately rented accommodation, particularly where people are living in bedsits. The Government refuses to act to improve sound insulation in existing properties. In its ‘Decent Homes Standard’ – its programme to improve social housing – it has not stated that good sound insulation between properties is required for a home to be regarded as satisfactory. The standards for new homes are a bit higher, but most independent experts regard them as still too low. There is no legal requirement for government, local authorities, private landlords or housing associations to improve the sound insulation between properties. The law has been tested on three occasions. In 1999, in the Baxter v Camden and Mills v Southwark (also 1999) cases two individuals living in social housing argued that the London boroughs of Camden and Southwark respectively were obliged to improve the sound insulation in their properties. The law lords ruled against the individuals on the grounds 1. that noises which people could hear their neighbours making because the sound insulation was poor could not be deemed a noise nuisance and (2.) the cost of improving the insulation would be prohibitive. In 2006 a case was brought against Lambeth Council and the London and Quadrant Housing Trust by Mark Vella, a tenant, that poor sound insulation was damaging his health, that, in legal language, it ‘was prejudicial to health’. The courts again found in favour of the authorities. They said that ‘prejudicial to health’ didn’t apply to noise and they also argued that the costs would be too great to improve the insulation. The Government has made no estimate of the costs of improving sound insulation. Not has it costed the benefits of less stressed lives, less conflict, less violence etc. There are some local authorities and bodies like the Greater London Authority that are trying to do something to improve sound insulation, but it remains a problem in which the Government has shown very little interest. Useful Contacts: Building Research Establishment Insulation Installers (UK Directory) |
|
UK Noise Association, PO BOX 551 Chatham, Kent ME4 9AJ Tel: 01634 863 852 www.ukna.org.uk info@ukna.org.uk |
Information Sheets: Sound Insulation
|