John Connell Awards 2022

Local Authority Environmental Health Practitioners enforce noise law and are at the front line dealing with the complex challenges of neighbourhood noise. This award recognises services and projects that are shining examples of co-operation, and creative solutions to solve noise problems within the community.

Winner: Kirklees Council

During the Covid-19 Pandemic this Council’s area was consistently in the top 10 for highest infection levels in England, requiring diversion of large numbers of Environmental Health staff to the enforcement of Covid-19 business restrictions. The pandemic also brought significant increases in noise complaints – with a 16% increase in domestic and 69% increase in industrial noise complaints. By taking an educative, graduated approach to abate noise problems all statutory functions and noise investigations continued throughout the pandemic, despite the significant challenges and increased workloads.

This award, kindly sponsored by RHE Global, is in recognition of the most successful use of the Noise App technology, an effective tool which facilitates the reporting and assessment of community noise complaints to assist local authorities and housing associations with their noise investigations.

Winner: Westminster City Council

This Council investigated an extremely serious case of Anti-Social Behaviour where the victims were subjected to persistent threats and harassment by a neighbour. The use of the Noise App was instrumental in capturing the evidence that enabled this ASB Team to secure a ‘without notice’ injunction against the perpetrator.

Highly Commended: Blackpool Council

This Council demonstrated excellent use of the Noise App playing a key part in securing evidence for cases that have been brought to court, saving many hours of investigation time. The Noise App was also used in association with the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act, demonstrating how effective the Noise App is when working in partnership with the police and other agencies.

The Institute of Acoustics held a competition for secondary schools to encourage students to listen more carefully to the sound environment, learn the basics of sound measurement, use the appropriate equipment to collect the data and present their results. The award winners were announced and presented at the John Connell Awards 2022.

Winner: St Oscar Romero Catholic School

The worthy winners of the competition had an impressive submission showing a deep understanding of the value of soundscape management and its practical use to improve the sounds within their school.

This award, kindly sponsored by Anderson Acoustics, recognises the advancement of soundscape principles in line with the ISO soundscape standards and their practical ‘real world’ applications.

Winner: University College London

Standardising the measurement of people’s responses to their experience of an acoustic environment –  i.e., a soundscape assessment– is a challenging undertaking. While the ISO Soundscape Standards are published in English and French, the lack of additional translations constitutes a major barrier to making soundscape practices more inclusive and mindful of cultural differences and aural diversities. The solution: a worldwide collaboration of over 50 experts translating ISO soundscape descriptors into 19 languages including Arabic, German, Croatian, Japanese, Greek and Chinese.

Highly Commended: Apex Acoustics

This novel and successful application of ISO soundscape assessment methods in a highly contentious night noise context, led to improved outcomes for both a nightclub (by avoiding onerous building work), and the local authority who was satisfied that they were reasonably protecting the residents. The resulting engagement, operational and technical solutions balanced enabling the night-time economy to function and protecting the community from noise.

This award, kindly sponsored by the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and ANV Measurement Systems, recognises self-motivated individuals who have made impressive progress or an outstanding contribution within the first five years of their career within acoustics.

Winner: Seena Sajeev, Apex Acoustics

This young acoustician started her career in acoustics in March 2020, one week before the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK.  With no previous education or training it in acoustics, but with a great deal of interest, ability, tenacity and perseverance, she has achieved more than anyone would have thought possible in such a short space of time, in the most challenging of circumstances. Her achievements include representing her company at the ANC Awards 2021 and Internoise 2022, organising an event for the IOA Northeast branch and making a fantastic contribution to the day-to-day consultancy work of her organisation.

Highly Commended: Cameron Salisbury, AECOM

This young professional has taken up leadership roles not only on project work, but also in a wider industry context.  He is already a key member of several working parties, taking an active role in driving improvement and incorporating innovation in the acoustic trade and professional bodies. These include the UK Acoustics Network Early Career Committee, the IOA Publications committee, the ANC working group for Soundscapes as well as leading a team that won the John Connell Award for STEM resources in 2021.  He is a fantastic ambassador for acoustics and a natural role model for future graduates and technicians entering the profession.

This award, kindly sponsored by Brigade Electronics, salutes significant advances in industry best practice to minimise noise from operations and logistics by developing proven noise reduction initiatives.

Winner: Go North East

This operator has furthered its investment in sustainable and quiet transport by expanding its zero-emission fleet with a further nine electric buses as part of its two million pounds investment in Ultra-Low Emission vehicles. These busses will run via Newcastle City aiming to achieve a low-noise ‘net zero’ bus fleet by 2035.

Innovation is the key to solving noise pollution for the benefit of all. This award, kindly sponsored by the Institute of Acoustics, recognises original thinking, products and solutions when faced with particularly challenging acoustic issues.

Winner: Acoustic Facades Ltd

Occupant overheating in modern buildings presents a significant challenge to designers, developers and engineers. This new innovative Open Acoustic Window System’s solution benefit starts at a minimum of 25 dB reduction and can rise as high as 40 dB reduction whilst still maintaining useful air flows making it nothing short of revolutionary.

Combine this with the principles of good acoustic design, and there is a clear path to ensuring sustainable development without expensive mechanical cooling systems that occupiers often do not use, and yet still get to protect the health and wellbeing of those exposed to all forms of environmental noise.

Highly Commended: AECOM

This team used innovative state-of-the art acoustic design techniques to create an immersive, authentic 17th century Jacobean soundscape entitled ‘Shakespeare North Listening Back Through Time’. This successful major arts project has proved to be a fundamental driver in the regeneration of Prescot and the surrounding area – attracting investment, including support from Arts Council England.

This award, kindly sponsored by Rolltek, recognises advances in low noise technology in the logistics industry to facilitate quieter delivery and services especially in urban areas.

Winner: Recycling Lives

This operator’s new 19-tonne Renault skip trucks will be used in its daily operations, servicing commercial and household clients around the company’s 15-acre site in Preston. The trucks have capacity to complete a full day’s work on a single charge with zero tailpipe emissions, meaning they are well suited to cities with Ultra Low Emission Zones while their low traffic noise makes them ideal for use in urban areas to protect residents and improve amenity. Recycling Lives receives this award for the design and development, in collaboration with Renault Trucks, of the UK’s first fully electric skip transporters.

The Quiet Mark Acoustics Academy Built Environment Award, kindly sponsored by ROCKWOOL, recognises significant advances in acoustic excellence within the built environment.

Winner: Internorm

For consistently producing quality acoustic high-end windows not only to address sound attenuation but also providing high-end thermal insulation and security.

Highly Commended: Enfield Speciality Doors

Over many years, this manufacturer has been successfully producing unique, bespoke high quality acoustic doors to address excessive sound issues within any kind of building.

Celebrating manufacturers who maximise the use of their Quiet Mark accreditation to promote the value of low-noise technology for consumer benefit. Encouraging manufacturers to sell quieter products is what the premise of Quiet Mark is all about – reducing stress in the home, the workplace and in public spaces.

Winner: MEACO

MEACO is a manufacturer of air heating and cooling products who has made full use its award, prominently displaying the purple Quiet Mark logo within retailers and their own websites, in blogs and on product packaging in stores all over the UK.

Winner: Worcester Bosch

Worcester Bosch has a dedicated website page to Quiet Mark and the benefits for consumers of quiet products, as well as in information brochures, and featuring their Quiet Mark prominently at live events.