A smartphone app is allowing residents in a London borough to measure levels of nuisance noise and report disturbances to the town hall.
Croydon Council’s My Croydon app has been upgraded to include a decibel metre, allowing members of the community to test nearby noise and see whether it is loud enough to warrant a complaint.
The local authority will be able to take action if the noise is loud enough, with the app compiling further information on the type of noise being heard.
While the noise reporting function of the app is currently in its beta-testing phase, it is expected to help the near 6,000 people who have downloaded the free tool to better report disturbances.
Cllr Mark Watson, cabinet member for safety and justice, said: ‘Whereas other generic apps already enable noise to be reported, we’ve gone a whole step further by allowing residents to measure the noise using a sophisticated decibel meter, to give a better idea of what options are available and whether the council can assist.
‘The council is eager to use the latest technology to make the services we provide to residents more efficient. Whereas previously residents would call the council to report noise, now they can do so at the click of a button via their smartphones.’
