Good Noise Design Helps Keep the Peace in Rural Buckinghamshire

In August 2012, STM helped the owner of a rural post office in Haddenham combat noise levels from refrigeration units and so keep the peace with his neighbours.

When Aylesbury Vale District Council served a noise abatement notice on Haddenham Post Office in July 2012 the owner, Mr Patel asked STM Environmental to deal with the noise. The brief was to see if we agreed that the noise was a problem and, if we did, to recommend solutions. The local Post Office is a vital asset to Haddenham but Mr Patel advised us that the refrigeration units, which serve food and drink chillers, were necessary to maintain his business.

STM visited the complainants to assess the problem and found that the issue was restricted to daytime noise levels in their garden. We undertook a noise survey of the area both with and without the units running and found that we agreed with both the neighbours and the local council that the noise was an issue. Liaising with the council’s environmental health officer we made recommendations to Mr Patel as to possible solutions and, after instruction, quickly got to work on a new enclosure for the units. In October 2012 STM Environmental were pleased to hand over the completed project to Mr Patel and his neighbours can once more enjoy their garden.

BEFORE

AFTER