West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published: 12 October 2007
A life of noise
• I REFER to Mr Bernard,s letter (We need more help to tackle noise, September 28). I can most certainly sympathise with the gentleman from W2 since myself and others in our locality have suffered from this same problem sporadically for years.
What is the solution? Primarily, if those individuals perpetrating this anti-social behaviour could exercise some common sense, then a lot of ill feeling could be avoided,since telephoning environmental health, as we are advised to do, is problematic. It does not have sufficient resources and the law is inadequate to deal with those who cause noise to be exacted upon their neighbours.
Keeping diary sheets ,as we are told, is also a waste of time unless the case is strong enough to be heard in court or if a landlord sees fit to take the case to court in the first place!
Many hours may pass before a nuisance team call out to houses or flats where noise is excessive.
The 24-hour society in my opinion contributes to an excessive noise culture and unless we are prepared to turn back the clock then we may have to endure some noise at the expense of shops, pubs etc being open all hours. We cannot have it both ways,unfortunately. Another cause of excessive and unnecessary noise is wooden flooring – if there is insufficient insulation. Just listen to someone dropping a simple coin in the early hours! I live in hope that this fashion will alter in the forthcoming years. I Walker
Dalgarno Gardens, W10
Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.