Home:Bristol Citizenscape

About:

Make some noise about noise.

Noise pollution is a source of annoyance for 35% of people in Bristol. As well as being annoying, noise causes sleep problems and stress, which can lead to other health problems.

This website pulls together online resources on traffic noise, to raise awareness and find out what you think. This will inform Bristol’s response to the European Noise Directive. You can:

Find out more about noise pollution
Tell us how it affects you
Suggest how to reduce noise Tell us about quiet places in the city
Your views will help us to implement the noise action plan for Bristol

more >

Pledge:

Why not start a pledge to do your bit to reduce environmental noise in your area.
PledgeBank.com

Blog: Noise

Bristol Noise

A blog on the efforts being made in Bristol to reduce traffic noise.

Praise for noise work in Bristol from MEP

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:46:00 +0000

TED Talks - how sound affects our lives

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Councillor Rogers on traffic noise

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:40:00 +0000

Noise and Health Conference - November 11th

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:57:00 +0000

Filming with Councillor Jon Rogers

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Tranquil Spaces Conference 9th October 2009

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:32:00 +0000

John Connell Awards - notification of results

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Healthy Walks Soundscapes activities

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:50:00 +0000

Trying out the embedded MP3 audio player..

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:18:00 +0000

Bristol's Noise Priority Locations

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:08:00 +0000

Noise Management and Consultation

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:06:00 +0000

Road traffic noise perception map - update

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Mobile noise and ozone bluetooth web 2.0 mashups?

Wed, 27 May 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Supporting Bristol's noise consultation and community engagement

Thu, 21 May 2009 08:12:00 +0000

Bristol Hum...

Wed, 20 May 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Petitions:

Why not start an online petition related to traffic noise pollution here.

Petition:

Reduce the speed limit to 20mph where people live and work

The petitioner asks Bristol City Council to adopt 20mph as the default speed limit for residential and urban roads.

Signatures: 505
Closes: Apr 30, 2010

Map: Plot your quiet places here. (click map to open)

bristolstreets.co.uk | quiet layer

Cycle in via Silverthorne Lane...

2010-02-06T19:12:31+00:00
Cycle in via Silverthorne Lane instead of down the Feeder Road. Much quieter!
brambly

When they finally refurbish on...

2010-02-06T19:11:12+00:00
When they finally refurbish one of those 2 derelict hotels and demolish the other one to build offices they're going to do away with the tiny pede ...
brambly

Troopers Hill Woods. On the si...

2010-01-21T12:54:09+00:00
Troopers Hill Woods. On the side of the hill, with tranquil paths, there are many different trees and wild flowers.
Liz

I agree too. It's a great plac...

2010-01-21T12:52:30+00:00
I agree too. It's a great place for young and old. There are nationally rare invertebrates, interesting plants (mouse-earedd hawkweed anyone?) and ...
Liz

medieval cities were obviously...

2010-01-18T14:48:05+00:00
medieval cities were obviously pre-car. cities that try to route traffic thru them always fail - either with the traffic flow or the amenity of th ...
ben

Most of the time this is a hav...

2010-01-16T10:10:02+00:00
Most of the time this is a haven of peace in the centre of Bristol - just sit on the railings and let the harbourside happen around you.
threetrees

This is a lovely place for fam...

2010-01-14T20:11:03+00:00
This is a lovely place for families to walk and play. The area has some beautiful trees and wildlife in the nearby river at Snuff Mills. Some more ...
Local Resident

This is a lovely place to walk...

2010-01-14T20:01:16+00:00
This is a lovely place to walk with wildlife at Duchess Pond and views of the Dower House and the city of Bristol. It is a Green Belt area which i ...
Catherine

Nice quiet walk along the Mala...

2010-01-12T13:00:01+00:00
Nice quiet walk along the Malago into town. I have seen moorhens on the stream. Good to get away from the traffic.
Kate

Quiet and wild. I like the pon...

2010-01-12T12:57:45+00:00
Quiet and wild. I like the ponies grazing nearby. Great views.
Kate

I like the quietness also the ...

2010-01-12T12:55:56+00:00
I like the quietness also the stupendous views across to Clifton Suspension Bridge and Ashton Court. Great for balloon watching!
anonymous

This area of Bristol feels lik...

2010-01-11T16:02:33+00:00
This area of Bristol feels like walking through a traffic tunnel. I wonder if work could be done to green it up a little? I think psycologically p ...
anonymous

Stapleton village is surprisin...

2010-01-08T17:14:31+00:00
Stapleton village is surprisingly sheltered in the most part from the M32, but Broomhill Road creates loads of noise in an area which would otherw ...
rowan

I love walking down the hill a...

2010-01-02T18:19:09+00:00
I love walking down the hill and seeing the great view of Bristol over to the right and also not having to walk right next to the road as there is ...
Dan

Windmill Hill city farm. Some...

2010-01-01T18:15:19+00:00
Windmill Hill city farm. Somewhere to escape noise and pollution, not to mention the spitting. One of the few places in central Bristol I've fou ...
Rachel

I walked down here in the snow...

2009-12-31T17:06:05+00:00
I walked down here in the snow just before Christmas. The acoustics were changed and the traffic reduced so it was, for once, magically quiet - a ...
anonymous

I used to really enjoy this ro...

2009-12-31T17:02:19+00:00
I used to really enjoy this route when I worked in town. The diversity of birdsong never failed to cheer my morning cycle ride.
anonymous

This City Farm is such a speci...

2009-12-31T16:59:08+00:00
This City Farm is such a special place. I'm sure people would visit more if the cafe was better publicised. I never know whether it is open as i ...
anonymous

It is good to see schools in q...

2009-12-31T16:55:38+00:00
It is good to see schools in quiet places where children can benefit from tranquillity and cleaner air. The green space of playing fields also he ...
anonymous

These allotments provide a wel...

2009-12-31T16:52:57+00:00
These allotments provide a welcome diversity to pedestrians and cyclists heading for UWE. Even over the constant thrum of the motorway, the cackl ...
anonymous

This walk down Ham Lane to the...

2009-12-31T16:48:19+00:00
This walk down Ham Lane to the River, via Snuff Mills and on to Eastville is one of our favourites. It can be quiet but if the wind is blowing in ...
anonymous

It is a lovely open area to re...

2009-12-31T15:28:07+00:00
It is a lovely open area to relax during lunch. Children can als play safely
anonymous

The main problem is vehicles w...

2009-12-15T18:34:13+00:00
The main problem is vehicles with sirens (mainly ambulances) which go past every few minutes (and not just in front of the BRI). Obviously there w ...
Tim

The problem here is people sho...

2009-12-15T18:27:47+00:00
The problem here is people shouting on the street at all hours of the night.
Tim

They need to stop big vehicles...

2009-12-08T15:38:54+00:00
They need to stop big vehicles going down past the park and slow the traffic down - should put up traffic chicane-things off the motorway
Louise

Beautiful, mature little park ...

2009-12-08T15:33:45+00:00
Beautiful, mature little park - great community space. Marred by noise of traffic flying along Mina Road, taking short cuts from the motorway to n ...
Aggy

Very noisy!!!! and could be a ...

2009-12-08T13:18:18+00:00
Very noisy!!!! and could be a quite place
Hugo

Highridge Common peaceful and ...

2009-12-08T12:22:18+00:00
Highridge Common peaceful and quiet no distant traffic noise hum. Lovely place.
Carol

A lovely, magic spot, water no...

2009-12-08T9:19:40+00:00
A lovely, magic spot, water noises, calming
Jeremy McNeill

Some background noise from teh...

2009-12-08T9:17:56+00:00
Some background noise from teh city, but relatively quiet with great views
Jeremy McNeill

Viewfinder: Add to the discussion on noise

Traffic noise pollution

Photo by POLIS

"Environmental" or "ambient" noise is unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including road, rail, aircraft and industrial noise.

The council has mapped environmental noise in Bristol www.bristol.gov.uk/noisemap

We would like your views on how environmental noise affects you so you can influence how the noise action plan is implemented in Bristol.

Are you annoyed by traffic noise where you live? (please say where in the city you live)

What do you think could be done about excessive levels of traffic noise?

Why not also visit bristolstreets.co.uk to add your favourite quiet place to an interactive map?

We will be giving you more opportunities to influence the implementation of the noise action plan during 2009 as part of an EU funded project called Citizenscape.

Cllr Jon Rogers the Cabinet Member for Transport and Sustainability and Ward councillor for Ashley has read the comments here and is interested in the outcome of the discussion. See him comment on the issue of noise pollution here:

emergency vehicles

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT
Some of the most intrusive noise pollution is by the ambulance, police and fire service emergency vehicles. Would it be possible for the noise level (often deafeningly painful) to be reduced and for the sirens to be used when only absolutely necessary? Long-lasting sirens in the middle of the night are particularly intrusive.

Re: Submitted by email

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Living in Horfield my area was farmland until 1950’s. It’s verdant suburban character reminds me of living in a semi rural village, yet it’s close to the benefits of the main A38 but out of earshot buffered by a large building. Council consultation (Feb 2008) indicated peace and quiet in this residential area as one it’s greatest attractions. In 2005, the popular Horfield Leisure Centre was built, followed by April 2008 approval for a 300 unit housing estate and 2009 when redevelopment of Southmead Hospital was granted. While new developments offer benefits, an unwelcome impact for locals, is the perceived erosion of character of the area as we witness transition from a quiet suburban oasis, to a more urbanised environment with unwelcome noise and diesel fumes from construction noise and traffic, and what will be considerable increase in demand for transport in the area. I respectfully recommend council must show it’s being proactive in identifying opportunities to monitor, mitigate and control noise impacts prior to approval of development at planning committees. Having asked planning committee to apply noise receptors on routes where noise from heavy traffic would occur during and after large construction projects, officers of the council failed to support siting of monitoring equipment. This approach lacks the rigour I’d anticipate from an administration claiming to be at the heart of a “Science City”. Another incident in 2007 concerns the Horfield Memorial Stadim where prior to planning committee decision, essential site perimeter road traffic noise reports were not provided. All this puts the council in a very poor position from which to negotiate mitigation strategies. Noise and street safety While noise of an engine serves as a warning of danger for bicycles and pedestrians, the current level of noise from traffic at present is unacceptable to the extent the following impacts occur: Phone calls in the street can be inaudible due to background traffic. If an emergency situation required necessity to summon assistance quickly, traffic noise could compromise effective communication, compromising safety. Pedestrians can’t hold a conversation in the street, without raising voices, at times this is also true whilst travelling within a bus where engine noise is so deafening. Traffic noise can mask other noises, disguising, for example, burglary or other criminal activity. Noise from peak hour traffic can interfere with sleep patterns especially for shift workers, with consequences for health and wellbeing over the longer term. Though a “noise map” would be a welcome start, I noted Steve Crawshaw, BCC officer’s comments on air quality, on the Viewfinder and recommend council considers, in addition to the noise mapping project, making better use of resources from the Air Quality Management Resource Centre (AQMRC) based locally at UWE. AQMRC published “Steps to Better Practice – Guidance for Local Authorities on LAQM consultation” (2007) which I highlighted in a statement in summer 2007 hasn’t resulted in recommendations to produce the background database on air pollution necessary to help residents/planners/council in determining future decisions – I believe there may be parallels between traffic noise impact and air pollution impacts. However, I must make one exception, which is, the slower the traffic, the lower the noise impact, but the worse the air pollution would be as idling vehicles don’t disperse the pollution as widely as faster moving vehicles would. Aside from encouraging less noisy/polluting public transport vehicles and lorries, I’d support the planting of more street trees and green buffering wherever possible to help mitigate noise, air pollution also to help absorb carbon dioxide emissions, keeping the city looking green. Significant effort may be worthwhile to persuade public transport providers to provide lower noise and emission vehicles, to help make the experience more attractive to potential service users

Submitted by email

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
I live in King Georges Road which is at the moment quite a peaceful road with some through traffic. On the whole it is a quiet peaceful area to live, especially at night and this includes Highridge , Withywood and Highridge Common. There is no audible distant hum of traffic and if you listen the only sound you hear are birds and people going about their daily lives. On the whole South Bristol is a good place to live with very little pollution or loud noises. The problem is the powers that be will destroy this forever if a road is put through and the thousands of houses are built all across the green belt. I hope the planners and whoever are responsible for making the decisions regarding this horrendous project will think again. The meeting for our survival is taking place in Copenhagen and our Bristol council leader will be there to represent us. I hope she comes away with a different view of the way forward which is to get traffic off the roads and use a cleaner means of transport like rail and waterways.

Re: Re:

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
Fully Agreed

Re: Late night traffic noise

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT
i live in a side street off Fishponds Road. When I first moved in, over 18 years ago, the main road was busy at peak hours, but otherwise fairly quiet. nowadays, it's unsafe to cross at the designated crossings because so many drivers ignore these, many of them think their "music" is so great that everyone else should hear and the side roads are plagued by cars parked on the pavement so pedestrians have to walk in the roads. the side roads are also busier and therefore noisier. Lorries frequently ignore the advice that these roads are too narrow for them and drivers of all vehicles ignore one-way systems, putting lives at risk. Pedestrians are vulnerable and ignored.

Join up:

If you have any feedback on this site email citizenscape@bristol.gov.uk

Noise consultation - Cllr Jon Rogers

Bristol City Councillor Jon Rogers, Cabinet member for transport and sustainability, talk about the Bristol noise consultation. Let us know your views at www.askbristol.com/noise

Film:

To see vox pops of people in Bristol talking about noise pollution visit the council's youtube site

Webcasts:

Bristol City Council

What's On

Sustainable Travel Select Committee

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:00:00 GMT
The Committee agreed the final draft recommendations report.

Sustainable Travel Select Committee

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:30:00 GMT
This meeting reviewed the register of recommendations to the Select Committee. It was also the first time 'Cover It Live' live blogging was tried during a webcast.

Project Feedback

This site has been developed as part of an EU funded project called Citizenscape and we would like to find out more about your experience of using the site. We would be very grateful if you could spare 15 minutes to complete this survey to help us to do this:

http://www.public-i.info/survey/index.php?sid=66647&lang=en

Many thanks