This report first considers some of the theoretical and practical problems associated with trying to put monetary values on noise nuisance. It then gives the results of two pilot investigations carried out by Metra consulting group ltd under contract with TRRL. The basic idea behind these studies, originally put forward by Metra to the Roskill commission, is to offer people a payment to have a "noise machine" in their home for a fixed period of time in order to assess the compensation required to make them as satisfied after the imposition of a noise nuisance as they were before. After investigating several approaches, a method was developed of relaying tape recorded traffic noise by adapting a commercial background system. In the first investigation 39 people, an acceptance rate of 43 per cent, agreed to have the machine in their main bedroom for payments, varying with socioeconomic class, from 5 Pounds to 8 Pounds. In the first phase of the second contract the machine was developed to relay noise in all the rooms of the house. In the second the sample was divided into four groups who were offered either 15 Pounds or 25 Pounds for either a 'one room' or a 'whole-house' installation. The adjusted acceptance rates were 18 per cent for offers of 15 Pounds and 27 per cent for offers of 25 Pounds with very little difference between the acceptance rates for 'one room' and 'whole-house'. The report concludes with a discussion of the lessons learnt and Metra's suggestions for possible future research. (Author/publisher)
Abstract