Our authority has been facing typical resource pressures. With decreasing staff numbers, officers were finding themselves under increasing pressure responding to noise complaints. Our traditional ways of monitoring and gathering evidence in relation to noise were resource-intensive, and we needed to find a better way to deal with service requests.

Context: Population: 124,000; Area: 1,590 km²; predominantly a rural area with a number of towns, including Haverfordwest (population circa 12,000). Tourism features strongly. 

Number of noise complaints per year (to 31 July 2017): 358; number of abatement notices: 6; number of court cases: 1.

Digital solution

We felt The Noise App might provide a solution, and it did! The best thing it has done for us is  ‘triage’. The majority of complaints never go anywhere. We previously found that an awful lot of time was taken up dealing with a vast number of complaints. That was resolved overnight. By making The Noise App available to those reporting noise problems, we are able to filter out the junk. The Noise App has helped us to focus on those cases that need it. 

Cost savings

We had also become increasingly aware of the ongoing repair, maintenance and calibration costs of our three noise monitors. We now use only one monitor (for people who are unable to use The Noise App), and this alone has brought an annual cashable saving of three to four thousand pounds. 

Most importantly, our new approach to handling noise complaints has delivered significant savings in officer time, travel time, and travel costs. I also believe we provide a more responsive, better-prioritised service to the public.

Shared intelligence

The Noise app has helped us in our partnership approach to dealing with noise. Working with the police, housing associations and other council departments has become much easier. 

Legal action

We deal with a vast number of noise complaints every year. Only a small proportion progress to formal action, and an even smaller percentage ever end up in court. However, we do prosecute when we need to, and we have used the Noise App successfully in court as evidence to support prosecution for breach of an abatement notice. My advice is to think about what you can use it for, not what you can’t. For us, it brought immediate benefits.

Steve Morbey, Lead Officer, Public Health