Rows next door are biggest cause of noise disturbance

Research commissioned by the insulation specialist shows 36 per cent of Britons that have been regularly disturbed by noise say that their neighbours’ arguments are the single biggest cause of disruption.

The index also highlights neighbours’ parties (30 per cent), children (21 per cent) and pets (20 per cent) as a significant noise nuisance , while five per cent of those regularly disturbed by noise say they are most frequently irritated by the noise of their neighbours’ sexual activities.

Rockwool says the report reveals the existence of a new group of social menaces, the SCANNers (Self Centred, Anti-Social, Noisy Neighbours), property owners who make as much noise as they like in their own homes and don’t care about the impact on their neighbours.

Rockwool’s poll asked whether or not they had taken steps to keep the noise down. Alarmingly more than a third of Britons (35 per cent) say they do not consciously keep down the noise they make and just 25 per cent of Britons say they try to keep quiet to avoid upsetting their neighbours.

Perhaps surprisingly, it is the older generations who appear less inclined to keep the noise down around the home with 41 per cent of people aged over 55 saying they make no effort to keep the noise down.

Paula Bateman of Rockwool said: “Noise is a serious problem and the number of complaints from people disturbed by noise is rising.

“Our poll clearly shows that the most common causes of noise come from the everyday things that form part of our daily routines, and we all have a responsibility to consider the impact they have on others.

“Excessive noise can seriously affect a person’s health and wellbeing, it can impact quality of life and lower productivity at work. If we want to build genuinely sustainable communities then we must do more to limit excessive noise.

“Architects, builders and planners all have a role to play in designing cost-effective solutions.”