[Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough.

  • Portsmouth (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1965
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1965] / Medical Officer of Health, Portsmouth Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    82/148 (page 80)
    This complaint was found to be amply justified. In this period of our national history when the magic word “production” is the excuse for every practice, it was elevating to note the offenders’ response to criticism of their processes. To re-establish a good relationship with an irritated public they consulted one of Britain’s leading experts in noise suppression, Professor Richards of Southampton University. An investigation of the plant by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research ended with a concise report on the noise sources with specifications for their suppression. Since the latter’s application, not only have the residents’ slumbered undisturbed at night but their former friendly relations with the factory have been re-established. Less fortunate in its outcome was a complaint by residents at Old Portsmouth about noisy maintenance repairs carried out on the Isle of Wight car ferries at night. During the peak holiday season the small hours are the only time when these vessels are available for such essential repairs to be done. The nature of the maintenance requires easy access to the shore marine workshop otherwise work could have been executed at a distance off-shore. A predominant feature of the noise was whine from an electricity generator providing direct current to the marine electrical apparatus which, most unfortunately, will not function on the shore supply of alternative current. Discussions with the transport undertaking reached an impasse in which the only palliative offered to the complainants was the poor one that the noise would be kept to the minimum during the comparatively short holiday season. Similar in vein, but successfully resolved, was a complaint of nocturnal noise revolving round the activities of a Portsea bakery. Bulk-flour delivery vehicles manoeuveringto deliver supplies, the ringing of an alarm bell on some bakery apparatus and the whacking of a giant flour-dredger shattered the Portsea night. Blissfully unaware that their firms’ shortcomings were the root cause of local insomnia the management were most co-operative and made sensible readjustments to their work-pattern. Now flour delivery has been re-scheduled to the daylight hours, a sibilant buzzer has replaced the clamorous alarm, and the dredger’s congestions are freed by a less primitive method than thumping. Other noise complaints investigated and dealt with according to their merits concerned piledrivers, panel-beaters, taxi services, and the inevitable laundrette. The role of the public health inspector in regard to noise suppression may appear unheroic but the condensed factual recounting of the major cases does not reveal the time and patience expended in mediation between alleged noise-sufferers and suspect noise-creators. For instance, one irascible complainant verbally went to town about the persistent noisiness of his neighbours, and on investigation, his idea of persitence was reduced to its right proportions — one Hogmanay. FOOD PREMISES An unbudgeted windfall for the civic exchequer resulted from lists of catering establishments compiled from the inspectors’ record cabinets at the request of two firms interested in possible marketing of goods. Fees amounting to £12 12s. Od. were earned for this painless extraction. The department was not similarly reimbursed by one of the Ministries for a somewhat like task but which required additional specific information and therefore took much longer to compile. Catering premises were not greatly to the fore in 1965. Most public criticisms arose during the holiday season and was undoubtedly sparked off by adverse weather affecting the critic’s tolerance. It has been noted before, that, given a sweltering summer, the British holiday-maker will suffer queues.