Ssshhh! Suffolk's not so quiet after all

WITH its peaceful villages, rolling countryside and slow pace of life, you could be forgiven for believing that Suffolk was a quiet county.

But new figures reveal there are an average of 12 noise complaints a day across the county - from everything from buzzing supermarket signs to church bells and from buskers to bird scarers.

Since the start of 2006, more than 13,000 noise complaints have been received by Suffolk's district councils - an average of about 12 complaints every day.

The figures, obtained following a Freedom of Information request, show that various forms of noise can lead to complaints.

A busker in Bury St Edmunds attempting to entertain people in the hope of some spare change was too much for one person.

While the English tradition of church bells left some Aldeburgh residents feeling they could not relax in their gardens.

Other complaints include DIY noise, vibrations from aircraft and 'people noise' such as footsteps and shouting.

Ipswich - with its large town centre packed with bars and nightclubs - appears to be the loudest part of the county, with a quarter of Suffolk's noise complaints since 2006 coming from its residents.

Peace-seekers in Ipswich might consider a move to the Babergh district - with towns such as Hadleigh and Sudbury - which registered the least number of noise complaints.

Lisa Lavia, of the Noise Abatement Society - which seeks to eradicate unnecessary noise in all its forms - said she was not surprised by the number of complaints in Suffolk.

“What leads people to complain is when they have some emotional or stress reaction to noise. People find that in the short term that they can generally cope with some noise but when it goes on and on that is when people complain because it becomes unbearable to them.”

Is Suffolk noisey? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk