Fighting Noise Pollution at Every Turn

Development of modern, industrial society does not necessarily bring only progress and prosperity but ion the contrary can often have some negative effects on the quality of our everyday life. This especially goes for ever growing potential for increased noise pollution that goes hand in hand with the expansion of modern industrial and traffic facilities. This is why some official government and some independent bodies are trying to find ways not to stop or slow down such progress but also provide some measures of preventing serious consequences especially regarding noise pollution.

A perfect example for such balance is shown in the Heathrow airport expansion plan which has raised many questions lately and resulted in different opinions in what should and must be a priority. Namely, the planned construction of the third runway faced such expansion opposition from the locals mostly due to the aircraft noise disturbing households located nearby the airport. Airport Commission is considering three available proposals – two Heathrow expansion schemes and a separate, second Gatwick runway, whereas the released polling result shown that 43% Londoners have preferred Gatwick reconstruction rather than Heathrow expansion which had a 36% support. The most important criterion that will be taken into account when making the final decision will be the level of noise and air pollution. As Stewart Wingate, Gatwick airport’s chief executive indicated, Heathrow expansion will result in 130.000 more planes affecting the air quality which would not be the case with Gatwick runway.

On the other hand, Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye suggested that Heathrow expansion will tackle unemployment by creating 40,000 new skilled jobs and 10,000 apprenticeships. However, what was most welcomed was the budget expansion where another £700m will be used to develop and implement expanded noise insulation scheme which will make 160,000 homes from Windsor in Berkshire to Richmond in southwest London, eligible for insulation. Although the announced noise insulation plan was welcomed by the Local opposition group Hacan (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise), Greenpeace still maintained its initial stand on the matter, stating that “The only way building another new runway can be made to appear economically viable is by ignoring the bulk of the carbon costs”.

This and similar public debates only accentuate the importance of proper insulation, including acoustic insulation. This should be the case not only for large and talked about public projects, but also smaller industrial facilities as well as residential units, which should not be anyhow neglected. Namely, proper acoustic insulation does not need to be too costly but can drastically improve the overall quality of life. Another vital point is that available acoustic insulation materials also have some thermal insulation characteristics thus not only protecting your home from the noise but also from potential heat loss and gain, moisture and damp issues, all leading to considerable energy savings and improved energy efficiency. 

We offer acoustic insulation products suitable for different applications and at low prices. Visit the best UK insulation shop and order or send your quote request today.