A woman plagued by a mysterious humming noise for around three years has expressed her anger and frustration after a council investigation failed to find the source.
Yvonne Conner, says the so-called ‘Holmfield Hum’ has driven her close to having a nervous breakdown due to headaches and tiredness from sleepless nights.
She describes the noise as a “low-frequency sound that resonates through everything in the house” Calderdale Council says it dedicated a lot of time and money to looking into residents’ complaints in the Holmfield area of Halifax – but officers haven’t managed to identify the source. Residents as far away as Queensbury say they can hear the noise.
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Today the council said staff had worked “day and night to try to detect the reported noises, visiting residents’ homes and local businesses, listening very carefully to people’s concerns, and appointing an independent noise consultant.
“Despite all efforts, officers are unable to evidence a statutory nuisance or to identify the source of the alleged noises. In addition, the noise consultant’s independent investigation came to the same conclusion.
“Based on the outcome that the Council and the independent expert reached, the Council has closed the complaints made by local residents pending any new evidence, and all complainants are aware of this outcome.”
Yvonne branded the council’s conclusion a ‘crock of s***’ and said she was ‘disappointed to say the least’.
She told YorkshireLive : “The independent consultant used the exact same equipment as Calderdale Council, so she was always going to have the same results!
“I had no idea of this was the outcome of the last council meeting. No one has informed me they were closing the case.
” I agree they did try and give the situation a lot of time and resources but that does not change the facts it’s still here.”
(Image: Yorkshire Live)
Councillor Jenny Lynn, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: “We have given our all to this investigation and left no stone unturned because we care about local people and understand the impact that the alleged noises have had on some residents.
“This has been a highly complex case with many challenges, including the area’s landscape, the mixed residential/commercial urban environment, the fact that not everyone can hear the reported noises, and because low-frequency noise is notoriously hard to detect across the country.
“At this time, we are unable to take matters further. We know this is not the outcome that the complainants were hoping for, but we have exhausted all current lines of enquiry.
“We don’t doubt that some residents are experiencing noise, so we will regularly review the situation and we’re happy to restart our investigations if any new evidence comes to light. We will continue to work with anyone who asks for our support, and will act on any new findings from national research into low-frequency noise.”
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