The impact of covid-19 restrictions on complaints of noise made to a local authority in Northern Ireland - a case study. Lindsay Shaw 1 Ulster University Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment York St, Belfast BT15 1ED Paul McCullough 2 Ulster University Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment York St, Belfast BT15 1ED

ABSTRACT The covid pandemic with national lockdowns and restrictions profoundly affected people’s lives in many ways including the experience of neighbourhood noise. Initial research indicated a rise in noise complaints at the start of restrictions (Tong, 2021) supported by CIEH, 2022 finding a 54% increase in noise complaints in 2020/21. Analysis of complaints received in 2020 and 2021 at one local authority in Northern Ireland indicates a different experience. Total number of complaints did not see statistically significant increases when compared to 5-year averages. While there were increases in some categories, comparison with 5-year averages were not statistically significant. The only category of noise with a statistically significant increase in 2020 related to retail, returning to a more typical pattern in 2021. It may be explained by increased demand in essential food retail as well as social distancing requirements, limitations to customers inside, etc., as the sector adapted in 2020 followed by people becoming used to changes and a return to some behaviours more akin to those pre-covid. A wider study involving local authorities across Northern Ireland, the UK and countries that experienced lockdown measures may reveal a more accurate picture of the impact of neighbourhood noise experienced during the covid pandemic.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Impact of Noise on Health and Wellbeing Noise is commonly defined as unwanted, unpleasant, or disturbing sound. Noise is perceptive and sound that one person thinks is desirable or acceptable may well be perceived as unwanted and disturbing to another.

1 l.shaw@ulster.ac.uk 1 paul.mccullough@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

None the less, noise is recognised by the WHO as an important public health issue and the negative health impacts on health and wellbeing a growing concern (WHO, 2018). The WHO Large Analysis and Review of European housing and health Status (LARES) (WHO 2004) included a large scale evidenced based and peer reviewed analysis on the health effects of noise exposure. It concluded that annoyance from neighbourhood noise had identified health impacts that were independent of social economic status and housing conditions. Excessive noise is known to harm human health (short term and long term) and interfere with people’s daily activities at home, work, school etc. It is widely accepted to cause disturbance to sleep having a range of health impacts as well as affecting performance. Noise is also known to cause cardiovascular and psychophysical effects, reduce performance and provoke annoyance responses and changes in social behaviour (WHO, 2021), Highlighted as the second worse environmental cause of ill-health, behind only ultrafine particulate matter (PM2.5) (European Environment Agency, 2014), noise has attracted policy development aimed at reducing the exposure of populations to environmental noise and improving health. However, these have focused on sources such as road, rail, aircraft and more recently in the WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, 2018, Wind Turbines and Leisure Noise. Policy is focused on these issues with an aim in driving down noise levels over time and to prevent further increases. However, neighbourhood noise is more difficult to identify for assessment and study. It does not happen at a particular place and at a particular time. There are many variables and often a result of people’s activities and attitudes. Noise that causes the most annoyance include those perceived as not normal, avoidable, happen at night and are loud with the impact on the complainant linked more to the lack of control that the person has on the situation as well as the motives attributed to the noise maker (Levy-Leboyer and Naturel, 1991).

1.2. Noise Complaint Incidence Neighbourhood noise, while not as widely studied is frequently present and a major cause for complaint to local authorities that are responsible for the investigation and enforcement. The CIEH Noise Survey 2019/20 Report on findings- England (2021) found that there were 131,645 noise complaints recorded from the 117 local authorities that submitted responses equating to 6.7 complaints per 1000 people. In NI, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have a strategic role in all environmental matters including air quality and noise. They have been collating data from local authorities in NI since 2003/04 and have a robust data set with all local authorities participating. The last published report is for the year 2017/18 and indicate that noise complaints are 40% than they were when they started the surveys with yearly variations as can be expected. 2017/18 NI as a whole saw a 2.8% decrease from the previous year. The report comments that noise complaints occur more in urban areas with Belfast City Council, the local authority with the highest population density, reporting 19.9 noise complaints per 1000 people, whereas Newry Mourne and Down District Council having a more disperse population reporting 2.5 complaints per 1000 persons. This would be resonant on more limited data available from the CIEH survey (CIEH, 2021) with Greater London, with the highest population density, having twice the number of noise complaints per head of population than the average in England. People in closer proximity and exposure to others are more likely to have problems with noise.

1.3. Covid-19 response in the UK and Northern Ireland Covid-19 was declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” by WHO in January 2020 and was officially declared a pandemic in March 2020. Countries around the world adopted different measures. Some to prevent entry of the virus into the country, while other countries adopted strategies to slow and contain the spread as it has already entered the country concerned. The strategies that have been common in many countries, whether national or locally, were “lockdown” measures that were unprecedented and unthinkable only a few months previously.

As cases started to rise in February 2020 and the beginning of March 2020 in the UK, the policy of “delay and contain” already had started to change people’s behaviour and businesses were beginning to adapt. Events and gatherings were beginning to be postponed and cancelled as members of the public started to become wary of going out and the possible spread of this new virus strain. However, the public health situation was continuing to worsen. On 16 th March 2020, the UK Prime Minister (PM) addressed the public and asked everyone to ensure social distancing and avoid group gatherings if they can (The Health Foundation, 2021). In NI, St Patrick Day celebration and events were voluntarily cancelled on public health concerns. On the 23 rd March 2020, the PM again made another public announcement only this time it was a “stay at home” message with emergency legislation put into place in the forthcoming days. “Lockdown” in the UK had begun. There was a clear “Stay at Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives” public health message. People worked from home where they could, schools shut, home schooling started, and many that could not work from home were furloughed. Only essential retail was allowed to open such as food retail. People were asked not to leave their home and only to do so if it was essential such as getting food or medication and they should only leave the home for exercise once a day. For the first time, most people were at home for an extended amount of time. (The Health Foundation, 2021). Initially it was thought that lockdown would only be required for a short period however, its necessity was needed for a much longer period and there were restrictions in place with variation on stringency and variations for different areas at different times for nearly 2 years.

• In Northern Ireland, 18 th May 2020 saw the first cautious easement with outdoor garden

centres and recycling centres opening and on 19 th May 2020 small groups of 6 people could meet outdoors with social distancing. This was now 9 weeks after lockdown began. • Non-essential retail re-opened mid-June 2020 with restaurants and cafes allowed to open from

3 July 2020. • July 2020 saw more easement, but the situation remained restrictive. By mid-August 2020

numbers of positive covid cases were rising and there were warnings that lockdown measures might have to be re-imposed. • Schools reopened in September 2020 and bars that only sold alcohol indoors opened but by

the end of the September a curfew of 11pm was introduced. • By mid-October 2020 restrictions were again tightened with pubs and restaurants closed again

and schools getting an extended midterm break for a period of 2 weeks. • November and December 2020 saw various cycles of slight easement and restrictions with

the year 2020 ending back in lockdown. • January 2021 saw the vaccination programme being started however there was reluctance to

ease lockdown until a high proportion of the population had been vaccinated. • March 2021 saw the gradual return to school with all pupils returning by mid-April 2021. • Mid-April 2021 also saw the start of easing of restrictions with a “stay local” message and

people from 2 different households allowed to meet outdoors and some close contact services permitted. • Hospitality businesses were allowed to open firstly outdoors at the end of April 2021 and then

indoors in May 2021 followed by further gradual easement of restrictions. • However, it took until February 2022 before all legal covid restrictions were lifted in NI. (NI Direct Government Services, 2022) The impact was undoubtedly massive especially during the early stages of the pandemic. Roads and public transport went quiet, city centres were not bustling, air travel effectively stopped. What normally happened in the background that most do not notice in the day-to-day noise environment went quiet as human behaviour and communities changed. “The Quiet Project”, supported by the Institute of Acoustics and Association of Noise Consultants, is an acoustics community effort to create a publicly accessible database of environmental sound levels across the UK during the COVID- 19 lockdown and subsequent recovery period started and full results are still forthcoming (IOA,

2020). In London, an average reduction of 5.4 dB (LAeq) was noted comparing noise measurement datasets from Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 (Aletta et al., 2020). This noise reduction may have benefited many. In one survey (not peer reviewed) carried out by One Poll on behalf of Hyundai, a third (34 per cent) heard birdsong in built-up areas for the first-time during lockdown, with this figure rising to 42 per cent in London. (Hearn, 2020) However, others may have their sound environment change negatively. Background noise such as roads may mask birdsong, but it also masks other noise including noise from neighbours and other noise sources in the area. Noise that may occur all the time may have missed or not noticed by people as they were out working at school or just out and about in what were normal situations and activities. For example, the dog next door may have been barking excessively before lockdown, but now people were at home and could hear it. Lockdown may have contributed to anxiety, obsessive behaviours, paranoia, and depression (Ausín et al., 2021; Dubey et al., 2020; Dzhambov et al, 2021) and noise is already linked to some of these. Some initial research has been carried out on the impact lockdown had on noise complaints. Tong et al (2021) report that noise complaints increased significantly (47%) across London during Spring 2020. In their concluding remarks they recommend that more analysis of the longer-term impacts of lockdown and restrictions on noise complaints would be of interest as would variations across regions (Tong et al., 2021). The CIEH continued with its annual noise survey for 2020/21 and published the findings in March 2022. Key findings included a 54% increase in the number of noise complaints with a third of complaints being residential in nature (CIEH, 2022) This study looks at one local authority area in Northern Ireland as a case study and the trend in noise complaints reported to it during 2020 and 2021.

2. METHODOLOGY

Data is gathered by each local authority in NI on complaints of noise made to the Environmental Health Department. The information recorded includes the date when the complaint is made and the type of noise with categories covering animal noise (mainly barking dog), loud music and parties, noise from retail and industry, noise in the street, wind turbine noise as well as others. Personal information is also gathered for the investigation purposes but was not obtained nor needed for the purposes of this study. Such information has been gathered for a substantial number of years and a source of rich information. The data on the date of complaint and category of noise was obtained for one local authority for the purposes of a case study. The data for 2020 (January – December 2020) was collected and repeated for 2021. There are 11 Local authority populations in NI ranging from 117,000 to 342,000 people. A local authority volunteered to partner with Ulster University to complete this case study research, but it was not at either end of the population number and density scale. To make a comparison, the data for the 5 previous years (2015-2019) were similarly collected. Comparisons were made between noise complaints in 2020 and again for 2021 with a 5-year rolling average, similar to how excessive mortality is reported (PHE, 2021). The data was broken down month by month to show the trends as the year progressed. Analysis was carried out to determine if there were any statistical differences between these 2 groups (“2020” and “5-year Average 2015-2019” and then “2021” and “5-year Average 2016-2020”). This was carried out using a t-test. Values less than 0.05 indicate that the 2 groups are statistically different with a 95% confidence level. Values between 0.05 and 1 indicate there is no statistical difference between the 2 groups. There was further statistical analysis comparing 2020 and 2021 and then comparing 2021 with the 5-year average 2015-19 that did not include the 2020 statistics that may or may not have been affected as a result of the pandemic. This analysis was carried out on all noise complaints and then repeated on specific categories of noise including

• Loud Music and Parties

• Animal Noise (e.g., barking dogs) • Antisocial Behaviour • Other Neighbour Noise • Retail Related (grouping filing stations, car washes, hot food bars and restaurants, ice cream

vans, other shops and offices and street traders) • Construction • Industrial and • Agricultural Several categories were not analysed as complaint numbers were small or considered not likely to be affected by the pandemic e.g., wind turbine noise. It was also decided to merge some categories that had small numbers. Filing stations/car washes, ice cream van chimes, hot food bars/restaurants, other shops and offices and street traders were merged as “Retail Related”. 3. RESULTS 2.1. Total Number of Complaints 2020 In this case study local authority, there was no significant difference (p=0.21) for the total number of complaints received. 2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• No statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.96) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020) (p=0.12) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019) (p=0.12) • No statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.12)

The month-by-month trend (Figure 1) also indicates similarity. Figure 1 Noise Complaints (all categories)

2.2 Loud Music and Parties 2020

In this category there was no significant difference found (p=0.08)

2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• No statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.25) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020)

(p=0.85) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019)

(p=0.57) • No statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.85) The month-by-month trend (Figure 2) indicates some perceived differences over a few months in 2020 however it was not found to be significant. Figure 2 Complaints of Loud Music and Parties

2.3 Animal Noise Animal noise complaints are dominated by complaints of barking dogs, 2020 In this category there was no significant difference found (p=0.16) 2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• No statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.43) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020)

(p=0.35) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019)

(p=0.46) • No statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.30)

The month-by-month trend (Figure 3) indicates that for quite several months there was a reduction in the number of complaints from animal noise in 2020 and an increase in July 2021 however these differences were not significant

Figure 3 Complaints relating to Animal Noise (e.g., barking dogs)

Complaints relating to Animal Noise

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

5 year average (2015-2019) 5 year average (2016-2020)

2020 2021

2.4 Noise associated with Antisocial Behaviour 2020 In this category there was no significant difference found (p=0.16) 2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• No statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.53) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020)

(p=0.43) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019)

(p=0.43) • There was however a statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.03)

suggesting an uplift in complaints

Figure 4 shows a more erratic trend in 2020 and an uplift between 5-year averages although caution should be taken with small number of complaints made and interpretation of trends. Figure 4 Complaints relating to Antisocial Behaviour

2.5 Other Neighbour Noise 2020 In this category there was no significant difference found (p=0.07) 2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• No statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.79) • A statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020) (p=0.04) • A statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019)

(p=0.004) • A statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.02) suggesting an uplift in

complaints

Small figures are involved. Figure 5 indicates trends.

• 2020 was more erratic with increases in the summer months of 2020 and into the start of

autumn 2020. • 2021 appears to be steadier across the year but showing an increase in numbers overall. • The 2016-2020 5-year average is higher than that of 2015-2019

Figure 5 Complaints relating to Other Neighbour Noise

2.6 Noise Associated with Retail Noise associate with retail merged filing stations/car washes, ice cream van chimes, hot food bars/restaurants, other shops and offices and street traders. 2020 There was a significant difference found in 2020 (p=0.02) 2021 When the 2021 data was analysed, it found

• A statistical difference between 2020 and 2021 (p=0.02) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year rolling average (2016-2020) (p=0.4) • No statistical difference between 2021 and the pre-covid 5-year average (2015-2019)

(p=0.94) and suggesting complaints have returned more to pre-covid trends • No statistical difference between the 5-year averages (p=0.05)

Figure 6 shows 2020 to have a very different pattern to the 5-year averages and 2021. Figure 6 Complaints associated with Retail (merging filing stations/car washes, ice cream van chimes, hot food bars/restaurants, other shops and offices and street traders)

2.7 Other Categories of Noise Analysis was carried out on construction noise, industrial noise and agricultural noise with no significant differences found.

3. DISCUSSION Lockdown has a major impact on everyone’s lives with many countries adopting unprecedented lockdowns. This societal shift is thought to have impacts on many environmental issues including noise experienced by people that have been more confined to their homes throughout 2020 than they would have previously been. Initial findings from data collected in London local authorities during spring 2020 indicated a rise in noise complaints (Tong et al). This was augmented by the CIEH Noise Survey 2020/21 that reported an increase in noise complaints received by local authorities (CIEH, 2022). Noise complaints were examined in one local authority in Northern Ireland as a case study over the full calendar years of 2020 and 2021 and compared the 5-year rolling averages. The results differ from those initial findings found by Tong et al., 2021 and CIEH, 2022 and from what had initially been expected. Overall, there was no statistical difference between the number of noise complaints made in 2020 and 2021 compared to the 5-year averages. “Loud Music and Parties” had expected to see an increase in numbers of complaints however the analysis of the data show that this was not the case in this authority and there was no significant difference. The trend line did indicate some increase for a period of months in 2020 however it was not statistically significant. Trends for 2021 returned to what would be expected. Further research would be needed to investigate the reasons into the results from 2020. There could be several reasons to explain these from a possible hypothesis that people were perhaps more considerate and took care not to disturb their neighbours, to the concept that people used lockdown to reset from a busy life. Perhaps being at home allowed people to resolve issues between themselves however as a counter argument perhaps people did not want to complain about their neighbours as they knew they were going to have to continue to live beside them. There can be lots of reasons why people do and do not complain

Several categories, although not showing statistical significance, may indicate possible trends that could be related to different stages of the pandemic response and restrictions in place at particular times. For example, animal noise (barking dogs) complaints in 2020 seem to be reduced at times when more people were working from home and rose when more people were back at work and school. Perhaps dogs were more content with owners at home and barked when more owners were back at work and school in September 2020. However, it should be remembered that no statistical difference was shown in this category. In 2021 complaints were following the trend for 5 year averages in the main but with a peak in July 2021 however this coincides with a heatwave in NI that may have affected the animals and also people would have been outside more and windows kept open at night. There were numbers of areas where statistical differences were found

• There was a statistical difference in the 5 year rolling averages with respect to complaints

relating to antisocial behaviour with an uplift evident. So, while there was no significant difference between years and the rolling 5 year average, there is an increasing trend in general for complaints relating to antisocial behaviour and likely to be unrelated to the pandemic. • There were statistical differences found in the analysis of “other neighbour noise”. This

category is defined as “other residential neighbour noise not otherwise categorised (which would be noise associate with antisocial behaviour, animal noise, DIY, loud music, and parties). Individual complaints would need to be examined to determine the exact nature of such complaints and would likely vary in nature. In 2020 no significant difference was found with the 5-year average. However, a significant difference was found between 2021 and the 5 year average indicating an increase in the number of these types of complaints that are not categorised in the main types of neighbour noise. There was also a significant difference between the two 5 year rolling averages used indicating an increasing trend. • Noise relating to Retail was the only category showing statistical difference was “retail

related” noise complaints in 2020. Retail was highly responsive to the pandemic. Essential retail such as food remained open and with everyone at home and no other retail open, essential retail experienced increased sales (Panzone et al. 2021). Restrictions and social distancing measure made changes to the capacity of premises and queues were often seen outside supermarkets, fast food takeaways and other food retailers. Other food retailers diversified and adapted quickly to provide takeaway services that allowed them to continue to trade during the pandemic (FSA, 2021). As other retail opened, they too also had to adapt to social distancing measures and covid compliance measures. The results from the analysis of noise complaints in 2020 show that there was an increase in noise complaints relating to retail that may have been a result in changes to trade and covid measures. However, this trend was not sustained into 2021. There was no statistical difference between 2021 and the 5-year average and a statistical difference between 2020 and 2021. This suggests complaints for this type of noise have returned to levels more typical before the pandemic and may again be a response to changes in trade and covid measures as restrictions were lifted. The case study has limitations. This was the experience of a single local authority and may not be representative of the experiences of others or across Northern Ireland and the UK. It has been reputedly (but not verified) that some local authorities in NI have commented on marked increases in noise complaints including barking dogs. A larger study would capture noise complaint data more completely and remove any anomalies. The benefit of a larger study would also be seen from larger numbers of complaints in each category increasing the accuracy of analysis. For the local authority in this case study some categories of noise had small numbers. However, the robustness of using data across many local authorities will rely on the consistency of how complaints are recorded so like is being compared with like across all the local authorities and across all categories of noise. A more detailed analysis of the noise complaint data to smaller time frames i.e., reducing it from monthly to weekly, may show further insights and patterns however it must be mindful that some

complainants delay the reporting of complaints hoping for resolutions while others will complain to authorities more quickly. It could be argued that data should only have been analysed from 23rd March 2020 when the PM told everyone in the UK to stay at home, however concern on the new emergent virus from China started much earlier and changes started to happen before that without government needing to legislate.

4. CONCLUSIONS

The covid pandemic and national lockdown and restrictions had some impact on the numbers of certain types of complaints made to a single local authority as a case study. Expected increases in complaints of loud music and parties, barking dogs and noise associated with antisocial behaviour were not proven through statistical analysis. An increase in complaints of noise relating to retail of statistical significance was found in 2020 for complaints relating to retail however this was not maintained in 2021 with complaint numbers returning to levels expected pre-covid. A wider study involving local authorities across Northern Ireland, the UK and across countries that experienced lockdown measure may reveal a more accurate picture of the impact of neighbourhood noise experienced during the covid pandemic. 5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the partner local authority that provided the data and allow the research to be carried out. 6. REFERENCES

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