Newcastle named as Britain's noisiest city

 

BY Fiona MacRae - More by this author » Last updated at 22:00pm on 1st February 2007

Once best known for its coal and brown ale, Newcastle has reinvented itself is a vibrant modern city, a mecca for shoppers and culture lovers alike.

However, such popularity has come at a price, as it has been named and shamed as Britain's noisiest city.

Experts have warned that incessant roar of traffic is loud enough to cause serious damage to health.

During rush hour in Newcastle, the roar of engines, screech of brakes and honking of horns reaches an ear-splitting 80.4 decibels - the equivalent of a loud alarm clock ringing constantly in your ear.

Such noise can cause permanent hearing loss and tinnitus, or buzzing in the ears.

Almost as noisy is Birmingham, where the noise from traffic averages 79.1 decibels and London, with a reading of 78.5 decibels.

Leeds, Leicester and Liverpool also feature in the top ten noisiest cities. Manchester, however, only takes 11th place in the table of 41 towns and cities.

When measuring sound, a difference of ten decibels denotes a ten-fold difference in levels of noise, while a difference of 20 decibels equates to a 100-fold difference in noise levels, and 30 decibels, a 1,000-fold difference.

This means, that Newcastle, with a reading of 80.4 decibels is around 100 times noisier than Torquay which, with a reading of 60.2, has the honour of being the quietest town in Britain.

Despite this, noise levels in the Devon town are still above the 55 decibel level recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Audiologist Deepak Prasher warned that ever-increasing day-to-day noise poses a serious risk to health.

Professor Prasher, of University College London's Ear Institute, said: "Noise pollution in our towns and cities is a growing problem and can have a serious long-term impact on our health and well-being.

"Noise not only annoys but can raise our stress levels and associated hormone levels.

"It can disturb sleep and increase the risk of heart diseae and if the noise it is loud enough it can lead to permanent hearing impairment and tinnitus."

Noise in the home can be just as damaging, he said.

"Our daily routines can expose us to high noise levels from items such as boilers, air conditioning units and household appliances.

"Many activities too, pose a risk, such as DIY and many leisure or social pastimes, ranging form discos, clubs and pubs, to quad bikes and electronic arcade games."

Previous studies have shown that even small increases in noise can have a big effect on blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Almost nine million Britons suffer problems with their hearing, with a third of those due at least partly, to noise exposure.

Prof Prasher's research, carried out for hearing aid company Widex, measured traffic noise in 41 towns and cities.

While Newcastle topped the table for traffic noise, Blackpool's amusement arcades were found to be among the noisiest spots in the country, with a reading of 86 decibels.

Among the most peaceful was the quadrangle of St John's College in Oxford, with noise levels below 50 decibels.

It's a bollocks report.

It's a bollocks report.

 

You're obviously completely out of "Toon" with reality!!:rolleyes:

haha,

 

Well I know where they took the reading from and it's right next to the tyne bridge where traffic is normally flying past. Compared to in London where it's mostly slow moving with less noise. It's not a just comparison. AND nobody lives directly next to the area where the reading was taken - It's just road.

haha,

 

Well I know where they took the reading from and it's right next to the tyne bridge where traffic is normally flying past. Compared to in London where it's mostly slow moving with less noise. It's not a just comparison.

 

And how would you know??:rolleyes:

I've still got "Fog on the tein is all mein all mein, fog on the tein is all mein COME ONNNNNNNN" ringing in my ears :bomb:

I've still got "Fog on the tein is all mein all mein, fog on the tein is all mein COME ONNNNNNNN" ringing in my ears :bomb:

 

And why-y is that, pray tell??:rolleyes:

ask http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37558 :P

And how would you know??:rolleyes:

 

I was in Newcastle yesterday.....plus...I've lived in Both places AND have seen a TV report which outlined the flaws.

Another pointless noise survey :dozey:

 

You try living underneath the flight path of those Apache (I think) helicopters from Middle Wallop.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v675/MrDaveS1986/DSCI0004-1.jpg - those things.

^ waddle and hoddle :stunned:

^ waddle and hoddle :stunned:

 

Total twaddle..................... :rolleyes:

Total twaddle..................... :rolleyes:

 

:P

 

It's like the world's greatest albums/songs polls, every time the poll is done the results are different. I bet if they do another noise survey tomorrow in the same way the results will be different.