Mystery hum annoys factory neighbours
A MYSTERIOUS humming noise is keeping residents awake near the Unilever factory in Barnwood.
The noise is affecting Merevale Road and Sissons Road.
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NOISE: The Unilever factory.
Residents believe the new giant cold storage room at the former Walls factory is responsible.
The storage facility, which stands at 100ft, was built last year by Partner Logistics, who own the building.
Matthew Bennett, of nearby Merevale Road, said: "There is a low frequency humming noise that is particularly audible at night.
"It was very loud on Tuesday evening of last week but has been occurring frequently.
"The noise is constant and disturbing our sleep.
"I do not know if the noise is been emitted from the chiller building directly or whether it is been refracted from the chiller building, bouncing back toward us from another building near the chiller.
"The fact is that there is a noise being directed along the Sisson/Merevale Road that was not there before the big chiller building was commissioned.
"The noise has been getting worse as the summer progressed.
"I wonder if the amplification in noise is to do with the mechanical effort required to maintain the low temperatures in the building and the atmospheric conditions, with low winds and warm air."
Paul Matthews, a spokesman for Unilever, said: "We will take any concerns about the impact of our business on the local community exceptionally seriously, and we will be liaising with Partner Logistics, the company which owns the cold store, to ensure they thoroughly investigate the level of noise coming from the building.
"However, we are not aware of any changes in level of noise coming from our factory."
Ray Perry, of Partner Logistics, said: "I am not aware of any noise at the site beyond the normal sounds created by a refrigerated unit. We deliberately placed the unit as far from residential properties as possible, to avoid any problems.
"I will have a walk through the site when I am next there to see what problems there may be."
For more news from Barnwood log onto www.thisisgloucestershrire.co.uk/barnwood
22 Comments
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by Ian, Barnwood
Saturday, June 19 2010, 4:05PM
“The noise from the Unilver site is terrible. We have written to them, rang them and it has made little difference. Particularily at night, the noise is so extreme we cannot have our windows open let alone sit in the garden. If I was making a noise that distrubed people I would try and curb it. We are faced with deninals and blame other culture. We have followed the sound (s). I have had enough. If others are affected then perhaps a more positive action is required.”
by Sue, Churchdown
Tuesday, July 14 2009, 7:30PM
“We have also heard this noise in Churchdown - thought it was coming from the railway line or dual carriageway ?? It was very noticeable during the recent hot weather when the air was quite still.”
by stamp, Stroud
Friday, July 03 2009, 9:54PM
“Boots do super ear plugs.
Why not invest?”
by Joe K, Bring Back the REAL Citizen Facebook Page
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:43PM
“If this is only affecting young people. it might be someone messing about with a Mosquito device. If it's affecting older people too, it might be someone messing about with a faulty Mosquito device...”
by John Gaughan, Hanover, PA USA (Ex Longlevens)
Friday, July 03 2009, 1:56PM
“I can hear the humming noise here in Hanover, it's driving me madder than I already am. The old Sissons factory used to hum also. Maybe this is the Sissons Ghost.”
by Emjay, Longlevens
Friday, July 03 2009, 12:50PM
“This noise has been driving me mad at night for about the last 8 weeks,maybe more, and is getting worse. Those people who don't hear it are very lucky - it must be at a frequency that your hearing doesn't register. It sounds rather like the hum which ocurrs when you rub a wet finger round the rim of a wine glass but louder and much more resonant. To make things worse it isn't an constant hum but oscillates between frequencies making it very difficult for me to block it out. My house is practically opposite the "big white blot on the landscape", i.e. the Unilever refrigeration plant which I suspected was making the noise. I have to shut my windows at night which, as you can imagine during the recent hotspell, has made trying to sleep uncomfortable. Please, please, please Unilever can you look into this and find some way of muffling this dreadful noise? Its bad enough seeing your horrible building from my living room and garden without having to listen to it as well!”
by jj, merevale
Friday, July 03 2009, 12:35PM
“i live on merevale road and don't have a clue what this is all about! no one in the household has ever experienced this supposed humming noise!!”
by Dai the Rat, The Hills
Friday, July 03 2009, 12:18PM
“No Worries! It only Wales singing. :)”
by A human, Gloucester
Friday, July 03 2009, 11:59AM
“I live not far from the factory and I don't hear any humming sounds! Clearly the people claiming this are off their rockers! lol”
by Tim, Glos
Friday, July 03 2009, 11:35AM
“Your all just hearing Michael jackson singing on the wind. He's every where now his song is with us a;;”