The new owners of this nursing home wanted to change the use to a House of Multiple Occupation, an  "HMO", and then to an Hotel, and had applied for planning permissions with the Local Authority. Permissions were refused on the basis of “noise and disturbance” to the local residents from the “coming and going” of new customers.

 

Shaun Murkett Acoustic Consultants Ltd were called in by the owners and instructed to carry out full environmental noise surveys, to liaise with the planning consultant and legal team, and to issue comprehensive noise reports which would support the applications and court cases.

 

Noise surveys were carried out by our team of experienced staff, with traffic and pedestrian counts, background noise levels measured over days to establish typical patterns, and the noise reports issued. The planning permission was still refused, and the legal team decided to appeal the decision.

 

Shaun Murkett presented the noise reports as an Expert Witness to the Planning Inspector at the Appeal Hearing, and carefully explained that there was no reason on noise grounds to refuse the application. The Appeal was successful, permission was granted, and costs granted against the Local Authority. The Hotel is now successfully open, and doing good business!