Planning applications often raise concerns from people living nearby over issues relating to noise, pollution and quality of life. In our latest blog, we discuss a proposal for an industrial estate in Worcestershire.
Neighbours near a proposed 32-unit industrial estate in Droitwich have aired complaints over the extra traffic created in an area that is already plagued by noisy lorries. According to an assessment of the area’s transport, it is estimated that an additional 83 trips would be made in the morning and evening rush hours and around 470 extra journeys on average every day. And around 30 of those journeys would be made by HGVs. The application also includes plans for a turning area for visiting lorries and 117 parking spaces spread across the industrial estate.
Neighbour concerns One nearby resident said: “We already endure noise pollution from DFS and Aldi as well as now Lidl and the outskirts of Berry Hill Industrial Estate. “I feel the addition of these units in close proximity will add to this.” Another added: “As a local resident I am concerned about the increase in heavy HGVs in a residential area and the environmental impact on air quality. “I also have concerns about the lack of information of the type of industrial units and the opening hours, litter and pressure on existing infrastructure.” Consultation on the application ends on July 18.
What is noise pollution? It is recognised by the Chief Medical Officer in England to be second only to air pollution for damaging public health. Noise pollution is the pollutant that has the greatest impact on our quality of life. Reports show that it disturbs the sleep of 46% of people who are woken at least once a week by noise outside their home such as alarms going off, traffic or anti-social behaviour.
Why is noise mitigation important? There’s been a wealth of research around the detrimental impact noise can have on our health with issues such as hearing loss, amnesia, stress and heart disease, to name but a few. Echo Barrier provide ways to help manage noise pollution in several industries and as noise experts, we have seen first-hand evidence of the damage that exposure to excessive noise can have on people’s quality of life.
We have developed our market-leading acoustic barriers to help reduce noise and protect the health of the local community. They typically reduce noise by 90-97%, and are lightweight, weatherproof and adaptable to any setting. So, whether you are looking for temporary or permanent noise solutions, we will have a product to suit your needs.