Petition · PE01613 · Session 5

Taking account of sound sensitivity in regulating antisocial behaviour and environmental health

Closed Submitted 1 Jun 2016 Housing & Planning

Signatures

244 online signatures with a country

Comments

Considered

2 meetings

in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to provide for the needs of people who experience sound sensitivity due to disability or medical conditions to be taken into account in legislation and guidance on noise and antisocial behaviour.

What the petitioner did first

I Emailed my MP to ask if sound sensitivity is taken into consideration for the threshold and it is not.
I asked my Housing officer if sound insulation could be added to my flat this message was passed to the housing executive and has been ignored.
I asked the Community police team if there is anything they can do and they said that because the noise is not excessive they cannot take action.
I asked the National autistic society for advice on this issue and received no reply.
I asked my CPN for help and she contacted my housing officer to complain on my behalf this resulted in an informal warning.
I contacted the out of hours noise team to witness the noise. They came into the flat and could hear a party going on upstairs however it was not loud enough. This resulted in a letter being issued saying there was no evidence of noise.
I emailed my MSP to raise the issue as a question in parliament and received a message that they would raise this question and ask the housing to install insulation on my behalf.
I asked Citizens Advice if I am legally homeless in this situation and in their opinion I am now legally homeless.

Where it was considered

Official Report

27 Oct 2016

Public Petitions Committee
New Petitions

1 mention
30 Mar 2017

Public Petitions Committee
Continued Petitions

1 mention

Signatures by country

244 online signatures

England69 28.3%
Scotland53 21.7%
United States43 17.6%
United Kingdom33 13.5%
Wales12 4.9%
Canada10 4.1%
Australia8 3.3%
New Zealand4 1.6%
France2 0.8%
Northern Ireland1 0.4%
9 other countries9 3.7%

Comments

26 comments, oldest first

m smith 28 Jun 2016

So if someone with sensitivity moves into the flat downstairs, you have to walk on eggs shells in your own property, that bill would run rough shot over a hundred years of (the average reasonable person ) case law, hopefully it will get short shrift.
Carol Hatton 30 Jun 2016

A family member has sound sensitivity amongst other disabilities.
Craig Thomson 30 Jun 2016

Update

The Council will not put in sound insulation, as it's too expensive. I can't afford it either. The council's solution was to move me but the waiting list is 15 years long. I thought about claiming myself homeless but I'd probably be classed as "Making myself intentionally homeless" don't know what to do. Ear plugs and ear defenders together don't help as I'm so sensitive I can still hear it and still can't sleep. I've tried sleeping in a tent in the back garden but this doesn't work well in winter as I got the early stages of hypothermia.
Meg Danish 30 Jun 2016

Government bodies should respect the differing needs of a diverse society. People with differences in sensory processing perceive things either more or less intensely than the average person. What the average person can or cannot perceive has no bearing whatsoever on this reality. For this reason, Mr. Thomson's individual need regarding his greater-than-average sensitivity to sound should absolutely be accommodated.
Julie brady 1 Jul 2016

I live with an autistic family member so I know how sensitive autistic people can be to certain sounds, sights and textures. More needs done for autistic people.
Gillian Armstrong 2 Jul 2016

Done, good luck x
Craig Thomson 2 Jul 2016

My petition has just hit the 100 signature milestone, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has been signing. I am extremely grateful to you all.
Annie Taylor 3 Jul 2016

As another person who suffers from extreme sensitivity to sound I recognise the importance of this petition.
Gillian Tosh 4 Jul 2016

I know many people that suffer from extreme sensory issues and really struggles to manage every day things that most of us take for granted. Some sounds that we find annoying they find them painful. Could you cope with ear piercing noises day in and out that gave you severe head and earaches and multiply these sounds to at least 3 times the level. We deserve all to be treated with respect and to pass this as if it's not an issue is discrimination to human rights
Clare foster 4 Jul 2016

Mental disabilities are overlooked by everyone. This needs to change.
Mike Williams 4 Jul 2016

I know what it's like to live with sound sensitivity. A family member has Autism and I am also sensitive to loud noise. This can cause a great deal of anxiety and it is discriminatory for councils not to act against noise suffered by those sensitive to noise.
Amanda Jane 4 Jul 2016

Good luck, hope your petition gets you what you need. Happy to support you
Andrea Bilbow 5 Jul 2016

People with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD often suffer with extreme hypersensitive hearing. This means they can hear sounds and noises others cannot hear. It also means loud noises will be hugely amplified for them and in a housing situation will cause sleeplessness, irritability, depression and from personal experience, suicidal thoughts. The failure of the council to rehouse a family member or insulate their flat led to them having a breakdown and having to seek psychiatric help. This is an unacceptable situation and should be addressed. Reasonable adjustments need to be made to allow people with disabilities to enjoy living in their own homes.
Charlotte Henry 5 Jul 2016

Please help decrease noise levels by providing for people who have special needs like soundproofing rules and requirements and housing needs.
sue camp 6 Jul 2016

Good luck
Rae smith 6 Jul 2016

Stop discriminating people with disabilities
Yasmin Raphael 6 Jul 2016

Please implement practical solutions such as soundproofing floors as standard practice in shared residential buildings, and raise awareness in relation to the suffering caused to people with conditions causing noise sensitivity. Also bring in more compassionate legislation to help people more quickly who may have loud mentally ill neighbours, so that both parties don't have to wait many months for action to be taken by a mental health assessment team.
David Reeks 7 Jul 2016

Let's make a change
Lorraine Cran 9 Jul 2016

Imagine being able to hear your neighbours speaking in your house. Imagibe never getting a good nights sleep and so feeling at the end of your tether. This was what life was like for my brother due to his heightened hearing ability a facet of his autism. The resulting stress may have contributed to his heart failure
Craig Thomson 11 Jul 2016

Thank you to everyone who has been signing. We have reached the 200 milestone. I am very grateful for your signatures and supportive comments :-)
Tracey Riley 11 Jul 2016

I hope this petition works for you and you get what you're after from it, I've also shared this link so I hope u get the signatures you're needing.
All the best xx
Lorna Ramsay 14 Jul 2016

Shocking! Good luck!
alan millar 14 Jul 2016

I hope you get the help & support you need a.s.a.p.
Sorcha Mackay 14 Jul 2016

My son has sound sensitivity and so I understand this is a genuine serious issue. Good luck.
Arno Breedt 23 Jul 2016

I also have major sound sensitivity, I know how frustrating it can be to deal with people who just don't understand. I truly hope somebody does something for you soon.
Angel Lang 25 Jul 2016

My son has Autism and is sensitive to sounds.I hope me signing this petition helps to resolve some issues