you are not alone

43% of neighbour noise sufferers in England have endured the problem for a year or more.

In response to this, the Noise Concern campaign was launched in July 2006 by ENCAMS with the aim of encouraging people to try and resolve neighbour noise issues in the early stages before a dispute occurs and authorities have to get involved.

Researching the problem

The campaign followed extensive research in 2005 into the attitudes and behaviours of neighbour noise sufferers and neighbour noise makers. It was clear from the findings that there was a group of noise sufferers who wanted to do something about their problem but had no relationship with their neighbour and did not know how to approach the situation.

How we campaigned

Radio advertising and bus shelter size posters specifically targeted this group who felt they could approach their neighbour but were nervous about doing so. The advertising ran for a three week period across England and aimed to put the issue of unacceptable noise on the agenda. Order some A3 versions of the campaign posters.

The research findings also indicated that over a third of people in England admitted to being a noisy neighbour. We targeted this group through the media, releasing a press release encouraging the public to question their own behaviour and ask whether they themselves were a noisy neighbour.

Working with key organisations such as Defra, Mediation UK, The Noise Abatement Society, National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection and the UK Noise Association, this website www.noiseconcern.org was launched. The aim of the site was to be a new public information tool dedicated to resolving neighbour noise issues. The site addresses all levels of neighbour noise problems but stresses the importance of tackling the problem during the early stages. The site also encourages visitors to take a quiz to find out whether they are a noisy neighbour.

Helpline

A dedicated hotline was also set up in partnership with the Noise Abatement Society during the campaign period to deal with any queries from the public and an accompanying ’Bothered by Noise’ leaflet was produced by Defra.

Results

• The campaign achieved excellent national press coverage including The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times, Sky News Online and Radio Five Live. Regionally, Manchester Evening News, Channel M (Manchester), Independent Radio News, Norwich Evening News and 18 local BBC radio stations across England covered the campaign
• 7,362 unique users visited the Noise Concern website during the three week campaign period
• Attitude and awareness questionnaires with members of the public revealed that when unprompted 17% of respondents were aware of the campaign and after being shown the advertising 47% of respondents said it would encourage them to discuss the problem with their neighbour
• 4,515 Defra ‘Bothered by Noise’ leaflets were sent out to members of the public during the three weeks of the campaign
• Noise Concern helpline received an average of 15–20 calls per day.