It is documented that nuisance noise can affect various aspects of human health as well as animal health. Disturbance and expectation of both private and council tenants to put up with nuisance noise from neighbouring properties if they cannot afford a new build appears to be discriminatory and fuels divides in overall public health. Poorer and vulnerable individuals suffer the most in this respect. 

Anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance are all issues faced when people are subject to excessive noise from neighbouring properties, this can also fuel issues with cardiovascular function and learning impairment (this especially important for children and teenagers). The World Health organisation recognises noise nuisance as the 2nd largest environmental factor affecting health, with a major effect on mental well being.

 Further anxiety and disruption may also be caused by repeatedly complaining to local authorities or police about nuisances with little done to correctly mitigate or solve issues.

 It is unfair to expect individuals to be productive, relaxed, and optimistic when these are the current conditions many are subject to while being expected to work and study productively.  

Current Scottish and UK legislation requires new builds to have adequate soundproofing and insulation. Those of us who cannot afford to live in newer properties are not covered, with landlords and home owners having no responsibility to upgrade their properties to align with modern building regulations and to limit nuisance noise from occurring.

In some instances this may be fair, mainly in historical conservation areas, however, for the vast majority of us we are living in accommodation with inadequate infrastructure for modern day living.

Many affordable properties are dated and not suitable for the levels of modern noise output, from drastically different working patterns around the clock to the prevalence of louder electronic devices from when they were first built.   

This petition aims to highlight to the government and local councils that more needs to be done to protect the health of residents and citizens from all walks of life, especially those in properties not old enough for conservation status but not new enough to be covered by current building regulations required by new houses.

Please sign if you think a country as developed as we are, all citizens (private or council based) should be offered the same level of building protection regarding nuisance noise.

The health, well-being, and quality of life for many individuals is affected by this issue and it cannot afford to be neglected or dismissed as evidence of its detrimental impacts are further discovered.

The issue needs to be addressed ASAP to prevent further impacts on health and questions must be asked why there is a large number of people who feel they have no voice and should need to be subjected to this due to affordability and lack of competent housing for modern day living