A star-rating system should be developed so prospective home occupiers know how noisy properties are likely to be, a conference was told last week.

Speakers said noise in the home is not always down to anti-social behaviour but also to poorly insulated walls and floors.

There is also a lack of consumer information when people buy entertainment systems, fridges, laminate flooring and other products, which can all contribute to troubling noise in the home.

Opening the conference, which was organised by the Mayor of London in conjunction with the UK Noise Association, the Mayor said: "Noise pollution has often been a neglected issue but it is a serious problem for many Londoners, affecting their quality of life."

"As a densely populated and growing city, I want to see that London leads the way in tackling the problem of noisy homes."

The inheritance from historically low standards of both internal and external sound insulation, poorly enforced building regulations, and subdivision of older timber-floored houses and other buildings for flats, poses challenges for London.

These can be increased by new lifestyle trends, such as bare floors, powerful home entertainment systems, and more flexible hours socially as well as in business.

Robert Hanson who produced the research calling for a 'star-rating' system, said, "At present, you don't really know how noisy a home will be until you move in, and then it's too late. If we can develop a simple star rating system, it will give people the sort of information they need in a clear, understandable way, and act as an incentive for house builders to improve standards."

Quieter fireworks

The UK Noise Association is also campaigning for retailers to agree to sell quieter fireworks next year.

Buyers for the key supermarkets are being asked to consider including "quieter collections" in the range of fireworks they sell for next year if they have not already done so.

Apart from celebrations around November 5^th, increasing numbers of people are now having professional firework displays as part of their wedding, anniversary or special birthdays celebration. Many suppliers are proving that it is possible to create a spectacular display without having excessive noise.

Campaigners are hoping that new regulations will lead to a less noisy climate, but if things don’t improve they have warned that the only alternative would be to press for a complete ban on the sale of fireworks to members of the public.