The John Connell Awards 2023 took place at the Palace of Westminster on the evening of 25th October 2023, kindly hosted by Sir Peter Bottomley, Member of Parliament for Worthing West. The awards were presented by Trudy Harrison MP, Under Secretary of State Defra.

The awards are named after NAS’s far-sighted founder John Connell OBE, who lobbied the Noise Abatement Act through Parliament in 1960 when noise became a statutory nuisance in the UK for the first time. These unique annual awards, known as the ‘Noise Oscars’, are now in their 22nd year. They acknowledge the importance of the quality of sound in our lives, and champion vital advances in reducing the negative impact of unnecessary noise for the public benefit. Over 390 recipients from local authorities, industry, organisations and individuals have now been honoured for the significant impact they have made to improve the aural environment. 

The Noise Abatement Society (NAS) is a dynamic UK charity whose aim is to share a better understanding of what sound is, how it affects us and how we can solve noise problems and improve soundscapes in a pragmatic and sustainable way. Its internationally respected work helps to relieve the physical and mental distress caused by excessive noise which profoundly affects health and wellbeing, learning, productivity and social cohesion. www.noiseabatementsociety.org 

John Connell Local Authority Award 2023

Local Authority Environmental Health Practitioners enforce Noise Law – the front line dealing with the complex challenges of neighbourhood noise. This award recognises services and projects that are shining examples of co-operation, and creative solutions to solve noise problems within the community. 

Winner: Bristol City Council, Tranquil City and Go Jauntly 

Aiming to encourage more regular walking, wellbeing and a reduction of stress in its local population, this innovative City Council teamed up with an environmental data company and a walking App to produce a bespoke ‘Green Routes’ App to support healthier and more sustainable walking journeys. Data results from the surveyed participants showed that greener alternatives could increase the likelihood of choosing walking, over other travel modes, by 36%. If scaled to the entire City’s population, it could increase time spent in nature by a huge 2.9 million hours. 

For their “Enhanced Green Routes tranquil routing app to reduce exposure to pollution, increase wellbeing and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals” the John Connell Local Authority Award 2023 Winner is Bristol City Council, Tranquil City and Go Jauntly 

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said “Congratulations to Bristol City Council, Tranquil City and Go Jauntly - the positive results of this collaboration could make an enormous impact on community health and wellbeing in the long term.”

Contacts:

Bristol City Council: Darron Hamilton darron.hamilton@bristol.gov.uk; Adam Crowther adam.crowther@bristol.gov.uk

Tranquil City: Chloe McFarlane chloe@tranquilcity.co.uk; Matt Megarry matt@tranquilcity.co.uk

Go Jauntly: Hana Such hana@gojauntly.com; Allan Weir Allan@gojauntly.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Local Authority Award, sponsored by ROCKWOOL UK

Winner:

Bristol City Council, Tranquil City and Go Jauntly collaboration for 

Enhanced Green Routes tranquil routing app to reduce exposure to pollution, increase wellbeing and progress towards Sustainable Development Goals presented by: Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Westminster City Council and City of London

In the heart of London, noisy utilities maintenance and highways infrastructure in densely populated areas, often cause extreme annoyance and sleep disturbance to nearby residents.
 

To solve this complex problem, it required innovative thinking and significant cooperation across local authorities, the street works industry, environmental consultants and Transport for London.
 

A project including streamlined assessments, noise prediction tools, quiet equipment recommendation and good practice guidance is in development. With surrounding local authorities supporting this methodology, the template can be adopted by authorities right across the UK.

For their “Integrated Approach, Tools and Guidance to Control Noise from Street Works” the John Connell Local Authority Award 2023 Highly Commended goes to Westminster City Council and the City of London

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said “Many congratulations to the multiple partners cooperating to find a street works noise reduction template that may be replicated all over the UK.”

Contacts:

Westminster City Council Ndina Hamatui nhamatui@westminster.gov.uk; Barbara Terres bterres@westminster.gov.uk

City of London Corporation Steve Summers steve.summers@accon-uk.com; Linley Ernest linley.ernest@cityoflondon.gov.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Local Authority Award, sponsored by ROCKWOOL UK

Highly Commended: 
 

Westminster City Council and City of London Corporation for their 

Integrated Approach, Tools and Guidance to Control Noise from Street Works, presented by: Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

John Connell Innovation Award 2023 - sponsored by the Institute of Acoustics

Innovation is the key to solving noise pollution for the benefit of all. This award recognizes original thinking, products and solutions when faced with particularly challenging acoustic issues. 

Winner: Defra Noise and Statutory Nuisance Team & Partners 

Good policy has the potential to improve the lives of all citizens free from inequality and bias. To provide a strong evidence-base, a new noise model was developed demonstrating innovation, robust technological advancement and a sustained commitment to long-term noise exposure reduction. It transforms the way that government can understand the scale of impact from road and rail noise and provides enhanced capability for responsible authorities. It more accurately depicts the soundscape of the nation by mapping every public road and railway to 100% 10m resolution – this is thought to be the first time an entire country has been mapped to this level of detail in the world. It enables health and biodiversity impacts to be assessed; the potential for soundscape and tranquil areas evaluations and much more. 
 

The groundbreaking model has been adopted across all UK governments – and it is modular, meaning it is resilient and future-proofed allowing the benefits to be reaped for many years to come in a sustainable and consistent manner. 
 

For developing the “Transformative, global first, Noise Modelling System” the John Connell Award 2023 Winner is Defra Noise and Statutory Nuisance Team & Partners.

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Many congratulations to Defra’s noise team and their partners for their pioneering and future-proof sound measurement system which will reap huge benefits for citizens all over the UK.”

Contacts: 
 

Defra Noise and Statutory Nuisance Team: newsdesk@defra.gov.uk

Sponsor contact: Institute of Acoustics: Alistair Somerville President president@ioa.org.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Innovation Award sponsored by Institute of Acoustics

Winner: 

Defra Noise and Statutory Nuisance Team & Partners for developing the
Transformative, global first, Noise Modelling System, presented by: 

Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Alistair Somerville (Institute of Acoustics); Bill Parish and Cerise Reynolds (Defra); Simon Shilton (Acustica Ltd); Hilary Notley and Rhian Thomas (Defra); George Gibbs (Noise Consultants Ltd); with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Apex Acoustics

The problem of evaluating future acoustic performance in use, remains largely unaddressed and difficult to solve. Taking a human-centred approach, this project captures and reproduces the soundscape of a place or building in use, by combining point of view video with binaural audio. This means that what you see and hear is exactly what the person standing at that point in the building or place saw and heard. This multi-media approach offers designers the opportunity to explore a reference library of buildings to better set design criteria for new buildings.

For developing the “The APEAL Method - Acoustic Performance EvaluAtion through Listening” the John Connell Innovation Award 2023 Highly Commended goes to Apex Acoustics

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Congratulations to Apex for its innovative method of duplicating real life sound for use in future building projects, an invaluable tool for designers.”

Contacts: 

Apex Acoustics Jack Harvie-Clark jack.harvie-clark@apexacoustics.co.uk

Sponsor contact: Institute of Acoustics: Alistair Somerville President president@ioa.org.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Innovation Award sponsored by Institute of Acoustics

Highly Commended: 

Apex Acoustics for 

The APEAL Method – Acoustic Performance EvaluAtion through Listening, presented by: Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

The Institute of Acoustics Secondary Schools Competition 2023 

The Institute of Acoustics held a Schools’ competition to encourage students to listen more carefully to the sound environment. 

The worthy winners of the competition had an impressive submission showing a deep understanding of the value of soundscape management and its practical use to improve the sounds within their school.

Winner: Clementine Bristow from Stamford Endowed Schools 

The effects of sound on wildlife are often overlooked, therefore this year’s Secondary School Competition is especially exciting as we asked children to explore the connection between acoustics and ecology, specifically birds. Children were asked to identify three acoustically difference areas, describe the soundscape of each area and use the BirdNET app to identify birds that are present in each area. entry was well written, precise and logical. Clementine Bristow described the different soundscapes were described well and her results were clearly presented, she clearly enjoyed the knowledge gathering and got a lot out of the exercise”.

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said: “Congratulations to Clementine Bristow for her highly impressive submission which demonstrated real depth of investigation as well as practical problem solving skills, and all beautifully produced.”

Alistair Somerville, President, Institute of Acoustics said: “The IOA Schools Competition is now an annual event which encourages young people to explore the wonderful world of acoustics! This year's winners demonstrated an innovative and thorough investigation into the sounds in their school. Then, focusing on the school bells, they developed sound recording technology from readily available and affordable resources, produced a sound heatmap of the noise impact and recommended mitigation measures. The presentation of the findings of the project, using a website, was outstanding.”

Contacts: 

Stamford Endowed School: ses@ses.lincs.sch.uk

Sponsor contact: Institute of Acoustics Alistair Somerville President president@ioa.org.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

The Institute of Acoustics Secondary Schools Competition 2023

Winner: 

Clementine Bristow from Stamford Endowed Schools, presented by: 

Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

John Connell Soundscape Award 2023 sponsored by Anderson Acoustics

This award recognises the advancement of soundscape principles in line with the ISO soundscape standards and their practical ‘real world’ applications.

Winner: Welsh Government

Soundscape has not featured in UK legislation, and linkages between laws on noise and air quality have been poor. This devolved Government boldly initiated widening the scope of the proposed Clean Air Act to include airborne noise and soundscape - for the protection of present and future generations. As introduced, the Bill requires their Ministers to produce a national soundscapes strategy with its review cycle aligned with the national air quality strategy and the electoral cycle. Local and relevant public authorities will now have to have regard to the national soundscapes strategy when exercising public functions affecting local and national soundscapes. The Bill process has resulted in greater understanding of soundscape within the Government, puts soundscape on a statutory footing for the first time in the UK and globally, and sets an expectation for evidence-based, transparent and inclusive development of future applied soundscape practices. 

For developing “The First UK Bill on Soundscapes”, the John Connell Soundscape Award 2023 Winner is the Welsh Government.

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Many congratulations to the Welsh Government for pioneering the introduction of soundscapes principles into government legislation to benefit society.”

Contacts: 

Welsh Government: Enquiry desk customerhelp@gov.wales

Sponsor contact: Anderson Acoustics Grant Waters grant@andersonacoustics.co.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Soundscape Award sponsored by Anderson Acoustics

Winner: 

Welsh Government for 

The First UK Bill on Soundscapes, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Eduardo Manzano (Anderson Acoustics); Olwen Spiller, Eloise Procter and Dr Martin McVay (Welsh Government) with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Università di Trento, Italy and University College London

Pioneering ISO soundscape standards in national parks, this project brought together global soundscape researchers with musicians, photographers and video makers to document public engagement in critical listening sound walks in the Cairngorms in Scotland and the Italian Dolomites, measuring people’s acoustic perception in-situ. This is essential to enable the management and preservation of treasured environments such as regional and national parks. A Documentary of this project will be shown at the 2024 Trento Film Festival.

For the “Silenzi in Quota – Capturing Soundscapes at High Altitudes” project, the John Connell Soundscape Award 2023 Highly Commended goes to University of Trento, Italy and University College London

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Congratulations to Università di Trento, Italy and University College London - this is an excellent project to preserve and appreciate sounds in treasured natural areas.”

Contacts: 

Università di Trento, Italy: Dr Simone Torresin, simone.torresin@unitn.it

University College London: Dr Francesco Aletta, f.aletta@ucl.ac.uk

Sponsor contact: Anderson Acoustics Grant Waters grant@andersonacoustics.co.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Soundscape Award sponsored by Anderson Acoustics

Highly Commended: 

Università di Trento, Italy, and University College London for the 

Silenzi in Quota – Capturing Soundscapes at High Altitudes project, presented by: 

Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Professor Jian Kang (UCL); Giacomo Gozzi ("Silenzi in Quota" Collective); Eduardo Manzano (Anderson Acoustics); Dr Simone Torresin (Università di Trento); Dr Tin Oberman (UCL); and Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Chris Hurst of Three Spires Acoustics

This private acoustics investigator used Noise App evidence in several private noise dispute investigations including neighbourhood, sports pitches, scrap yard and entertainment venues. 

He found that the app has made gathering trend-over-time evidence by clients significantly easier as it provides more compelling and simpler to understand information. His investigations have also highlighted how the Noise App evidence can be successfully used in court.

The Highly Commended Noise App Award goes to Chris Hurst of Three Spires Acoustics.

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said ‘‘Congratulations to Chris Hurst of Three Spires Acoustics for achieving multiple successes in a variety of challenging noise nuisance cases with excellent use of the Noise App.”

Contact: Chris Hurst Three Spires Acoustics chris@threespiresacoustics.co.uk

Sponsor contact: RHE Global Katie Neale kneale@rheglobal.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Noise App Award, sponsored by RHE Global

Highly Commended:
Chris Hurst of Three Spires Acoustics, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

John Connell Rising Star Award 2023 sponsored by the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and ANV Measurement Systems

This award recognises self-motivated individuals who have made impressive progress or an outstanding contribution within the first five years of their career within acoustics.

Winner: Alec Korchev from Clarke Saunders Acoustics

This rising star moved from Canada to London to pursue an acoustics career with an MSc at London South Bank University before starting work at this consultancy. Whilst there they have been exposed to a number of acoustics-related disciplines leading them to develop a specialisation in wind-induced creaking noise in tall buildings for which they are currently undertaking a PhD. This star stood out because of the strong evidence of network engagement, particularly their volunteering to Chair the Institute of Acoustics Student Representative Sub-committee and the Association of Noise Consultants Future Acousticians Committee, which for both they have shown commitment in promoting acoustics to students, the most recent example of which is their current work in developing a student mentoring programme. 

The John Connell Rising Star 2023 Winner is Alec Korchev from Clarke Saunders Acoustics 

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Congratulations to Alec for grasping the opportunity to shine within the acoustics world at this early career stage.”

Contacts: 

Clarke Saunders Acoustics Ed Clarke eclarke@clarkesaunders.com 

Sponsor contact: Association of Noise Consultants: Robert Osborne, Association Manager, ANC: robert.osborne@admin.co.uk

ANV Measurement Systems: Mike Breslin MD mbreslin@anv.uk.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Rising Star Award 

sponsored by Association of Noise Consultants and ANV Measurement Systems

Winner: 

Alec Korchev from Clarke Saunders Acoustics, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Rebecca Romeo Pitone from Apex Acoustics

This rising star had followed an interest in sound whilst studying for their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees before joining this consultancy as an acoustic testing engineer. As part of that role, they were given an additional remit covering soundscapes and for this the judges agreed they have made an outstanding contribution to both developing the consultancy’s soundscape practice and the wider industry that are well beyond what is expected of a recent graduate.

She stood out from other entries through their work in writing and presenting papers at various events, including the Institute of Acoustics Northeast Branch Meeting Soundwalk in 2022 and is the lead author for a “Decolonising museum soundscapes” paper to be published soon along with presentations to be given at upcoming events. 

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Congratulations to Rebecca for achieving so much, so early on in her career within the acoustic industry.”

Contacts: 

Jack Harvie-Clark Apex Acoustics Managing Director, 

jack.harvie-clark@apexacoustics.co.uk

Sponsor contact: Association of Noise Consultants: Robert Osborne, Association Manager, ANC: robert.osborne@admin.co.uk

ANV Measurement Systems: Mike Breslin MD mbreslin@anv.uk.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Rising Star Award 

sponsored by Association of Noise Consultants and ANV Measurement Systems

Highly Commended: 

Rebecca Romeo Pitone from Apex Acoustics, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

John Connell Silent Approach Award 2023 sponsored by Brigade Electronics  

This award salutes significant advances in industry best practice to minimise noise from operations and logistics by developing proven noise reduction initiatives.

Winner: Philip Dunbavin Acoustics

This multi award-winning project tackled intense tonal wind-induced noise generated by a huge amount of security mesh in a recently built large scale multi-storey car park - causing complaints from up to 1 km away. 

A complex, innovative aero-acoustic scope and testing protocol was developed to assess the impact of multi-directional wind characteristics and acoustic spectral and tonal sounds. 

Bespoke mitigation testing high sensitivity to angle orientation relative to the wind and wind velocity was developed and post completion testing showed that no tones were generated from the treated mesh, resulting in the elimination of complaints from local sensitive receivers. 

For the “New Main Manchester Airport Multi-Storey Car Park – Security Mesh Noise Mitigation Project” the John Connell Silent Approach Award 2023 Winner is Philip Dunbavin Acoustics.

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said “Congratulations to PDA Acoustics for solving a highly complex and unusual noise problem which affected many residents over a large area.”

Contacts:

Philip Dunbavin Director PDA philip.dunbavin@gmx.com

Award sponsor: Brigade Electronics Emily Hardy emily.hardy@brigade-electronics.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Silent Approach Award, Sponsored by Brigade Electronics UK

Winner: 

Philip Dunbavin Acoustics for their 

New Main Manchester Airport Multi-Storey Car Park – Security Mesh Noise Mitigation Project 

Presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Dr Max de Salis (Philip Dunbavin Acoustics); Duane Gatland (Brigade Electronics);
with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: Transport for London and Anderson Acoustics & Partners

To make it easier for pedestrians and other road users to identify that the adjacent vehicle is a bus and whether it is moving or stationary, this transport authority worked with other partners to develop a responsive Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System so that the playback level for a newly created urban bus sound could be adjusted based on the vehicle’s location. This unique bus sound has been UN approved may be used by other bus operators.

For developing the “Urban Bus Sound and Responsive AVAS System”, the Quiet Mark Silent Approach Award 2023 Highly Commended goes to Transport for London, Anderson Acoustics and Partners which include AECOM, Zelig Sound and Ardent 

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said ‘‘Congratulations to the collaborative partnership for pioneering this sound alerting system for buses, an invaluable safety measure for pedestrians all over the UK.”

Contacts: 

Transport for London: Graham Jump, Noise & Vibration Team, GrahamJump@tfl.gov.uk

Award sponsor: Brigade Electronics Emily Hardy emily.hardy@brigade-electronics.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Silent Approach Award, Sponsored by Brigade Electronics UK

Highly Commended:
Transport for London and Anderson Acoustics and Partners for their
Urban Bus Sound and Responsive AVAS System, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: SV Acoustics and South Western Railway

This acoustic partnership and one of the UK’s largest Train Operating Companies (TOCs) have worked for over 4 years on a range of innovative noise strategy & management initiatives. Key aspects include: pro-active noise assessment of key sites & business activities; the first UK TOC DfT approved Noise Management Strategy; topic-specific noise guidance notes; noise training across the business; a bespoke “noiseplanner” – to capture and analyse noise data; and customised managerial, physical and behavioural noise management plans, resulting in significant real world noise and complaint reduction.

For their “Comprehensive and Innovative Noise Management Plan” the John Connell Silent Approach 2023 Highly Commended Award goes to SV Acoustics and South Western Railway.  

Gloria Elliott OBE, Chief Executive said “Congratulations to SV Acoustics and South Western Railway for such a positive initiative to address noise complaints in this comprehensive way - a great step forward from this collaborative team”

Contacts: 

SV Acoustics: Sasha Villa sasha.villa@svacoustics.co.uk; Matthew Light matthew.light@svacoustics.co.uk; matthew.hayden@svacoustics.co.uk

South Western Railway: Jessica.VanStaden@swrailway.com; Georgia.House@swrailway.com

Award sponsor: Brigade Electronics Emily Hardy emily.hardy@brigade-electronics.com

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

John Connell Silent Approach Award, sponsored Brigade Electronics UK

Highly Commended:

SV Acoustics and South Western Railway for their 

Comprehensive and Innovative Noise Management Plan, presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Highly Commended: HIAB

This manufacturer’s third generation lorry-mounted quiet crane features a fully integrated hydraulic tank, battery-pack and motor/pump built into the crane’s mounting base. 

This integrated design reduces structural noise and vibration making crane movements 30% quieter. Compared to engine-powered models it’s virtually silent in operation. It also provides weight-savings of up to 300kg thereby giving payload back to the operator – making it a major tool for fighting noise pollution in towns and cities, allowing truck operators to use lorry-mounted cranes without disturbing residents, even at night. 

For developing the “Next Generation ePTO (Electric Power Take-Off) Quiet Crane”, the Quiet Mark Logistics Award 2023 Highly Commended goes to HIAB. 

Gloria Elliott OBE, NAS CEO said “Congratulations to HIAB for producing a quiet crane which will be much appreciated by residents living close to development sites.”

Contacts: 

HIAB: John Bailey Director, International Key Accounts & OEMs John.bailey@hiab.com

Sponsor contact: Carl Fordham Managing Director carlf@rolltek.co.uk

NAS contact: johnconnellawards@noise-abatementsociety.org

Quiet Mark Logistics Award sponsored by Rolltek International

Highly Commended: 

HIAB for their 

Next Generation ePTO (Electric Power Take-Off) Quiet Crane presented by:
Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Peter Gränsmark and Mattias Berglund (HIAB) with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Poppy Szkiler (Quiet Mark Approval Ltd); Daisy Crozier, Lucy Baxter and Anna Pilch (BSH Home Appliances) with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Photo L-R: Poppy Szkiler (Quiet Mark Approval Ltd); Taylor Bourke and Jonathan Evans (NBS Source); with Trudy Harrison MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

Noise Abatement Society Initiatives

www.noiseabatementsociety.com/campaigns/

Helpline The UK’s unique helpline offering free advice to empower those suffering noise nuisance at home, work and in the community.

Silent ApproachTM The protocol of quiet delivery and servicing practices, used as the basis for the UK government backed Quiet Deliveries Demonstration Scheme and Transport for London’s London 2012 retiming trials and the ongoing Retiming Delivery Programme, and recommended in the London Mayor’s Healthy Streets programme and by other cities as part of sustainable logistics programmes.

Quiet MarkTM International Award for excellence in low-noise technology, launched by the Noise Abatement Society in 2012 and now an independent company working closely with the NAS, is given to manufacturers of the quietest products and solutions. Quiet Mark gives consumers more informed choice whilst providing a new marketing platform for industry, www.quietmark.com.

Soundscape As a member of the ISO Soundscape standard committee since 2009, NAS is helping to support the design and adoption of new acoustic measurement and assessment methods which more accurately reflect what the listener hears. Soundscape science opens up the possibilities of managing sound in a more positive way to benefit communities.

Future Sound Foundation NAS’ programme of education and outreach, research and consultancy to further multi-disciplinary soundscape research, practice and evidence to support policy makers and practitioners and help equip the next generation of acousticians, designers and urbanists.

Love your EarsTM A campaign aimed at school age children to raise awareness of premature hearing loss through continuous exposure to loud music.

  Quiet Mark

Quiet Mark is the international approval award programme associated with the Noise Abatement Society. Conducting expert acoustic testing and verification of products Quiet Mark has over the past 10 years driven change in manufacturing worldwide to prioritise noise reduction within the design of everyday machines, appliances, technologies and house build materials, creating the first one-stop platform for third-party approved noise reduction solutions for every living space to health and well-being. Through specialist acoustic measurement and product assessment, Quiet Mark identifies the quietest products in over 70 product categories giving consumers and trade buyers a more informed choice about the sound levels of the products they buy. The Quiet Mark scheme drives designers and manufacturers to reduce sound levels of their products enabling households and workplaces to rebalance the soundscape reducing stressful unwanted noise. 

Quiet Mark’s Acoustics Academy for the Building Sector

In February 2020, in a move to further expand its service to tackle noise related problems in building design Quiet Mark launched its Acoustics Academy to include third-party verification of specialist acoustic materials for the building sector including - walls, floors, ceilings, doors, windows etc. This brand-new online platform further equips and empowers architects, builders and designers with a guide to expertly verified leading acoustic solutions for every building application area. www.acousticsacademy.com