John Connell Awards 2024

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

Winner: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council has won the John Connell Local Authority Award for its effective approach to managing noise pollution which saw a local resident fined for an excessively loud party at their home, despite warnings from a local council officer. The council’s actions demonstrate their strong commitment to maintaining peaceful environments by swiftly responding to noise complaints and taking appropriate action. Their proactive strategies, including on-site investigations and evidence gathering, have led to successful enforcement measures, helping to ensure a higher quality of life for the community. The award recognizes the council’s dedication to reducing noise nuisances and promoting quieter living environment for all its residents.

Highly Commended: Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

For their effective handling of a prolonged noise nuisance case involving persistent barking from multiple dogs the John Connell Local Authority Award 2024 Highly Commended goes to Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council. Despite attempts to resolve the issue through engagement and support, the council’s environmental health officers were required to gather extensive evidence over several months, ultimately leading to legal action. This commendation highlights the council’s dedication to addressing complex noise pollution cases, protecting residents’ wellbeing, and upholding high standards of environmental health. The council’s actions underscore the importance of responsible pet ownership and maintaining community harmony.

Highly Commended: Great Yarmouth Borough Council

For their innovative efforts to tackle noise pollution through the installation of noise-detecting cameras, the John Connell Local Authority Award 2024 Highly Commended goes to Great Yarmouth Borough Council. These sound-activated cameras aim to reduce noise from anti-social drivers including from revving engines, street racing, playing excessively loud music and using popping exhaust pipes. These cameras, equipped with microphones and automatic number plate recognition technology, aim to reduce noise disturbances and enhance community wellbeing. Supported by the Home Office Safer Streets Fund, Norfolk Police, and the Crime Commissioner, this 12-month trial, following a successful pilot installation, demonstrates the council’s exemplary commitment to improving the quality of life for its residents.

The IOA Secondary Schools’ Competition is now an annual event which encourages young people to explore the wonderful world of acoustics. For more information please see: https://www.ioa.org.uk/news/ioa-secondary-schools-competition-2024-connection-between-acoustics-and-ecology

Winner: St Oscar Romero Catholic School 

The Institute of Acoustics held a schools’ competition to encourage students to listen more carefully to the sound environment. The effects of sound on wildlife are a critical consideration for the improvement of biodiversity. For this year’s Secondary School Competition, we asked children to explore the connection between acoustics and ecology, specifically birds, as we did last year. Children were asked to identify three acoustically difference areas, describe the soundscape of each area and use the BirdNET app to identify birds that are present in each area. This entry stood out as being exceptionally well thought out, with good descriptions of each stage and a very professional presentation.

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: Sustainable Acoustics and Thames Valley Police

 For developing this innovative project for Police Wellbeing which addresses noise issues in a Police Station’s open-plan areas, interview rooms, and the canteen, which affects privacy, communication, and relaxation, the John Connell Soundscape Award 2024 Winner is the Sustainable Acoustics and Thames Valley Police. Through a combination of acoustic measurements, biometric data, and staff feedback, the team developed tailored interventions, including soundproofing, quiet spaces, and flexible workspaces. These improvements have already positively impacted staff wellbeing, with plans to implement the findings in future police stations, setting a precedent for enhancing acoustic environments in similar settings.

Highly Commended: University of Surrey, Winchester Science Centre and Winnall Primary School

 For developing the one-year Sound of Biodiversity initiative aimed to enhance children’s connection to nature through soundscapes, the John Connell Soundscape Award 2024 Highly Commended goes to University of Surrey, Winchester Science Centre and Winnall Primary School. In a deprived community near industrial estates and motorways, workshops encouraged primary school students to explore their sound environments and plan a soundscape nature garden. The project also contributed to a new exhibit at Winchester Science Centre, fostering broader engagement with the role of soundscapes in health and urban communities.

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: Emily Forster from Apex Acoustics

Within the first five years of joining their acoustics company, Emily Forster has made notable contributions to both the organisation and the industry, showcasing adaptability by volunteering for urgent projects and expanded a skill set to include acoustics as Air Quality lead, with a leading Planning Consultancy hailing this rising star as the “best consultant ever”. An innovative Diploma project on soundscapes influenced a significant paper presented at the IOA 2023 conference. Additionally, engaging in STEMtastic week to inspire future acousticians and, as Vice Chair of the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE) Northeast, organised successful industry events. Committed to enhancing EDI, this rising star has become a strong ambassador for acoustics.

Highly Commended: Jenny King from AECOM

Jenny King joined the Graduate Programme in 2022 after earning her MSc at ISVR. Recently promoted to consultant, she has contributed to over 40 projects, enhancing her skills in data collection, analysis, and report writing. Passionate about organised data, she developed a digital app to standardise acoustic survey notes, improving team collaboration. As the EDI, People and Wellbeing Champion, and Work Experience Coordinator, she promotes STEM through placements for high school students. Active in the wider community, she presents at universities and serves on the IOA STEM Committee, inspiring future acousticians.

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

Winner: National Highways

For developing ‘Period 2 Noise Mitigation Programme’ the John Connell Silent Approach Award 2024 Winner is National Highways. Since 2020, this initiative has reduced noise pollution for over 5,000 households, benefiting more than 12,000 people across England. The programme includes replacing older, noisier road surfaces, installing noise barriers, and providing noise insulation in high-impact areas. Set to mitigate a total of 7,500 households by 2025, this programme builds on the success of Roads Period 1 and demonstrates a commitment to improving the noise environment around the Strategic Road Network.

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: UK Health Security Agency and Colleagues

 For developing the impactful project ‘Putting Noise on the Map’ the John Connell Innovation Award 2024 Winner is UK Health Security Agency and Colleagues. This project aims to reduce the health burden of transportation noise through data and insight. This team estimated the burden of disease from road, rail, and aircraft noise across England, revealing over 130,000 disability-adjusted life years lost annually. The project used GIS mapping to highlight noise disparities and assist policymakers in planning healthier sound environments. With contributions to parliamentary inquiries and industry guidance, this project represents a vital step towards reducing noise-related public health risks in the UK.

Highly Commended: Arup 

For developing ‘Project CAELUS’, the John Connell Innovation Award 2024 Highly Commended goes to Arup. This project aims to create a national drone network to transport medical supplies across Scotland, including the remotest areas. This low-carbon initiative integrates public perception of drone noise into the design process, using innovative auralisation and listening tests. By building an evidence base through data collection and public engagement it sets a precedent for incorporating noise mitigation into drone network designs, whilst improving healthcare accessibility.

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

Winner: University of Salford and Travis Perkins

The development of this innovative Sound-Informed Vehicle Alert Sound system for electric material handling equipment improves workplace safety by creating detectable but less intrusive sounds, enhancing worker health and customer experience. This solution promotes sustainability, reduces carbon emissions, and sets a new standard for industry-wide acoustic safety design.

The Quiet Mark Commercial Award recognises companies who have been highly inventive in the marketing of their Quiet Mark product to support health and wellbeing.

Winner: KitchenAid

KitchenAid is being commended for outstanding commitment to reducing product noise engineering in its global manufacturing to benefit millions of consumers worldwide by pioneering low noise messaging for its new product launches this year as a priority across its global comms and retail partners and embracing the Quiet Mark certification message and associated values.

The Quiet Mark Industry Award, kindly sponsored by S&P UK Ventilation Systems, recognises a new or enhanced product or solution demonstrating significant low-noise technological advancement or a manufacturer who has demonstrated a history of sustained innovation across product lines to resolve noise pollution problems.

Winner: Johns Hopkins University

For developing a quieter leaf blower, the Quiet Mark Industry Award 2024 Winner goes to Johns Hopkins University. The challenge facing four US University engineering students was ‘Take a leaf blower – make it quieter and perform powerfully but without emitting the ear-piercing intrusive whine that has given leaf blowers a bad name.’ Stunning their sponsors, their advisers, and even themselves a little, the students completed the task – their improved leaf blower drops the overall noise level by nearly 40% while almost entirely erasing the most annoying frequencies. The design is patent-pending and Stanley Black & Decker expects to be selling them in two years’ time.