Noise Bothers Seven In Ten People At Home
Findings from an Ipsos survey commissioned by the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) show that noise is an issue for a substantial number of people in Britain, and a serious one for some. In all, 7 in 10 people report to be bothered by one or more sources of noise in their neighbourhood, and 12 per cent say their quality of life at home suffers a great deal or a fair amount from noise when they are at home. The most common source of annoyance is noise from cars / motorbikes, with one in five (21 per cent) reporting that they are bothered by this kind of noise in their neighbourhood.
Technical details
Ipsos interviewed a representative quota sample of 2,138 adults aged 15+ in 203 sampling points across Britain. Interviews were carried out face-to-face, in home, using Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI), as part of the Ipsos Social Issues Omnibus. Fieldwork was conducted between 19 and 25 April, 2007.
Topline Results
Q1-4 To what extent, if at all, are you personally bothered, annoyed or disturbed by each of the following noises when you are in your home?
| Q1 | Q2 | Q1/2 | Q3 | Q4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neighbours | Pubs / clubs / entertainment venues | Commercial premises / activities | |||
| (inside their homes) | (outside their homes) | (outside their homes) | |||
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| Extremely annoyed | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Very annoyed | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Moderately annoyed | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| A little annoyed | 9 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 4 |
| Not at all annoyed (I don't hear it) | 44 | 37 | 40 | 53 | 55 |
| Not at all annoyed (I hear it but I'm not bothered by it) | 37 | 37 | 30 | 36 | 34 |
| Don't know | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Q5a Thinking about any noise or noises that bother you in your neighbourhood, which of the following, if any, is the source or sources of the disturbance? Base: Half sample of 1,060
| % | |
|---|---|
| Cars / motorbikes | 21 |
| Car alarm / burglar alarm | 17 |
| Fireworks | 15 |
| Loud music (excluding parties) | 14 |
| Shouting / arguments | 14 |
| Children | 13 |
| Aeroplanes | 11 |
| Domestic pets (such as dogs, cats, budgies) | 9 |
| Helicopters | 7 |
| Doors slamming | 6 |
| House parties | 6 |
| DIY / car repairs | 3 |
| TV / radio | 3 |
| Animals (sheep, cows, ducks, geese etc.) | 2 |
| Commercial premises / activities | 2 |
| Footsteps | 2 |
| Pubs / clubs / entertainment venues | 2 |
| Other | 3 |
| None | 29 |
| Don't know | * |
Q5b Thinking about any noise or noises that bother you in your neighbourhood, which of the following, if any, is the source or sources of the disturbance? Base: Half sample of 1,078
| % | |
|---|---|
| Car alarm / burglar alarm | 17 |
| Cars / motorbikes | 17 |
| Loud music (excluding parties) | 15 |
| Shouting / arguments | 14 |
| Fireworks | 13 |
| Children | 12 |
| Pets / animals | 8 |
| Doors slamming | 7 |
| DIY / car repairs | 5 |
| TV / radio | 4 |
| Footsteps | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| None | 39 |
Q6 Overall, to what degree, if at all, does your quality of life suffer from noise when you are at home?
| % | |
|---|---|
| A great deal | 2 |
| A fair amount | 10 |
| Not very much | 33 |
| Not at all | 54 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q7 Thinking about the past year, which, if any, of the following apply to you?
| % | |
|---|---|
| I think I make less noise than my neighbours | 20 |
| I have been woken up by noise caused by neighbours | 14 |
| I think I make more noise than my neighbours | 13 |
| I have been kept awake by noise caused by neighbours | 11 |
| I have argued with a neighbour about the noise they were making | 3 |
| I have moved house because of noisy neighbours | 2 |
| A neighbour has argued with me about the noise I was making | 1 |
| None of these | 54 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q8 Which, if any, of the following open outdoor areas near to where you live do you consider to be quiet?
| % | |
|---|---|
| My garden | 59 |
| Nearby countryside | 44 |
| My street | 38 |
| Local park | 36 |
| Nearby woods | 32 |
| Churchyard | 26 |
| Nearby waterway (river / canal) | 18 |
| Nearby beach | 10 |
| Other | * |
| None of these | 4 |
| There are no quiet areas where I live | 1 |
| Don't know | 1 |
