Birmingham has been revealed as the noisiest city in the UK, according to a new poll.
The West Midlands city took the top spot, narrowly beating Bradford and Liverpool, which ranked second and third respectively, in a survey of over 2,000 city dwellers.
Other cities making a racket include Cardiff, 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.
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.
But the London boroughs, which responded to the requests collectively, recorded a staggering 440,000 noise complaints.
With Islington and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea receiving more than 60,000 each.
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 The constant noise makes it harder to focus and follow a conversation, often leaving people feeling socially withdrawn and disconnected.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 a 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 55% of city dwellers in Yorkshire and the Humber believe their environment has become louder over the past five years, while 45% say noise disrupts their lives at least once a week.
Traffic (52%), noisy neighbours (32%), construction work (33%), and emergency sirens (26%), were the biggest culprits. Nightlife (19%), and aircraft noise (10%), were also common sources of frustration.
Over half (52%), of respondents in Yorkshire and the Humber said urban noise makes it harder to concentrate, while 50% reported that it negatively impacts their sleep.
Alarmingly, nearly half of the respondents in Yorkshire and the Humber (43%) believe their ability to hear has worsened due to city noise, with (36%), struggling to follow conversations, and (22%), feeling unable to fully engage in social situations.
Nearly 4 in 10 of those polled in the region struggle with their hearing (39%), and nearly half (46%), admit they have never thought to get it checked.
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.”
If you have any concerns about your hearing or know someone who is struggling, contact your local store or visit Specsavers.co.uk/hearing
TOP 10 LOUDEST UK CITIES, ACCORDING TO ITS RESIDENTS
- Birmingham
- Bradford
- Liverpool
- Cardiff
- Coventry
- Leeds
- Newcastle
- Derby
- Nottingham
- London