Noise annoys – the Welsh city ranked one of the noisiest in the UK
City noise is impacting Wales’ hearing as the top 10 noisiest cities in the UK are revealed.
And a Welsh city has been found to be one of the noisiest on the list, with nearly a third of people in Wales say their hearing has worsened due to city noise.
The Welsh capital, Cardiff ranked as the fourth loudest city in the UK, with London placing tenth.
Nearly two thirds of Brits think their hearing is worse due to city noise, and over a third struggle to follow conversations because of it.
The new research by Specsavers launches as part of its tongue-in-cheek rebrand to ‘Specsandhearingsavers’ to encourage more people to get their hearing checked
Birmingham took the top spot, narrowly beating Bradford and Liverpool, which ranked second and third respectively, in a survey of over 2,000 city dwellers.
Alarmingly, nearly a third of people in Wales (29%) believe their ability to hear has worsened due to city noise, with 29% struggling to follow conversations, and 22% feeling unable to fully engage in social situations.
Over 4 in 10 of those polled struggle with their hearing (41%), and 37% admit they have never thought to get it checked.
Other cities making a racket include Coventry, Leeds and Newcastle, with Derby placing eighth. Rounding out the top 10 are Nottingham and London.
The research was commissioned by Specsavers as part of its temporary tongue-in-cheek rebrand to ‘Specsandhearingsavers,’ to highlight its expertise in hearing services.
Complaints
Alongside the poll, the company also conducted a series of Freedom of Information requests to uncover the scale of noise complaints across urban areas since 2020.
Manchester totalled a staggering 31,000 complaints, with Hull and Portsmouth receiving 14,000 each, while Leicester wasn’t far behind at 13,900.
Bradford, Liverpool, and Newcastle all saw more than 11,000 complaints, and Leeds logged 10,000.
Sonam Sehemby, a Specsavers hearing expert said: “Living in a noisy city can be exhausting – from relentless traffic and sirens to never-ending construction work. The constant noise makes it harder to focus and follow a conversation, often leaving people feeling socially withdrawn and disconnected.
“It’s become clear from our research that we are living in a world with more background noise than ever, which can make it a struggle to hear or follow conversation.
“A common misconception is that hearing checks are only for those who have completely lost their hearing. But, if you’re finding that you’re missing parts of conversations or just catch the gist, you’ll probably also benefit from a hearing check, which can be easily done on the high street. Despite our name, we are hearing experts too and have been for 20 years.”
The new study found that 50% of Cardiff city dwellers believe their environment has become louder over the past five years, while 38% say noise disrupts their lives at least once a week.
Traffic 45%, noisy neighbours 45%, construction work 37%, and emergency sirens 37%, were the biggest culprits. Nightlife 16%, and aircraft noise 11%, were also common sources of frustration.
49% of respondents said urban noise makes it harder to concentrate, while 50% reported that it negatively impacts their sleep.
As part of the Specsavers stunt, they enlisted Paul Chuckle to oversee the fit of a comically large ‘Specsandhearingsavers’ shop-front logo at its store in Windsor – with the TV icon muttering his famous “oh dear oh dear” catchphrase as the shopfitters struggle with its size.
Commenting on his recent hearing check, Paul said: “I’ve never paid much attention to my hearing so was surprised to discover I have some hearing loss. But it does explain why I’ve been struggling to follow conversations and saying ‘what’ a lot more. Now I know I can do something about it!”
Sonam added: “Struggling with our hearing is far more common than many people realise. But, sadly, it’s often something we put off, thinking we can get by. Part of the problem is that hearing loss can happen gradually, and we don’t notice the changes straight away. As with anything, it’s important that you act. So, whether it’s you or you notice the changes in your loved one, it’s important to seek help.”
TOP 10 LOUDEST UK CITIES, ACCORDING TO ITS RESIDENTS
Birmingham
Bradford
Liverpool
Cardiff
Coventry
Leeds
Newcastle
Derby
Nottingham
London
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That’s a photo of Cardiff that I don’t recognise! Maybe it’s Cardiff-on-Sea in California. It certainly isn’t our Cardiff…
Lovely Cardiff-on-Sea is definitely quieter than our city! Great place.
With all the other advances in medicine and science it’s astonishing that the best we’ve got for hearing loss is an electronic version of the Victorian ear trumpet.
Another bash the motorist scheme for the anti car fanatics to attack working class people in Cardiff.
Oh dear, another boy with hurt feelings. Will you be going on a rampage any time soon?
Bash the motorist scheme? It’s a PR survey meant to sell more hearing tests. If 45% of the people surveyed said cars are too loud, then it’s probably a good thing to be making quieter modes of transport more appealing to people. Let’s not forget that noise pollution does actual harm to people’s mental *and* physical health. I don’t see how class comes into this particular survey, but if anything, Cardiff’s working class people are less likely to be able to afford a car than its middle and upper classes. Better, cheaper, and more accessible public transit and active travel… Read more »