A woman tormented by a weird humming noise in her neighbourhood is having to drown it out by listening to Coldplay or sounds from the rainforest on earphones. The irritating hum has been plaguing Yvonne Conner, 51, for around three years.
The source of the noise is a complete mystery, but it has been dubbed the 'Holmfield Hum', after the area of Halifax where she lives. Yvonne, a professional dog walker, wants her local council to take action, YorkshireLive reports.
She said it has taken her to the edge of a nervous breakdown and gives her daily headaches. Only during the day does she get some respite as she can't hear the hum when she is in her garden or out in the countryside.
Yvonne, of Holmfield, Halifax, says many more people, including her partner, can hear the hum. Noise monitoring equipment has been twice placed in her house, in 2021 and earlier this year, but Yvonne has yet to see the conclusion of those investigations.
She fears Calderdale Council will conclude that the hum is not a 'statutory nuisance' and will close the case with no further action. She been putting pressure on Calderdale Council to provide an update on the findings of an independent acoustic consultant.
She claims she has emailed the local authority several times for information and on July 6 received an apology for the delay from a member of the Environmental Health team. On July 13, the council told Yvonne had it had received the acoustic consultant's report on July 8 "due to delays on the consultant's side" but hadn't had an opportunity to "assess the report and discuss the findings with the consultant and managers."
Yvonne said: "I am getting p****d off. Maybe their hands are tied, maybe a lot of work is going on, but they are not having to live like I am and the other people (affected by the hum).
"I have headaches now - right at the front of my head. I have had my ears checked and they are fine; I have normal hearing."
She said the delays in reporting the findings to her were 'disgusting'. "Sometimes I think maybe I am being sensitive but, after three years, I don't think I am," Yvonne said.
In some respects, she had learned to live with the humming noise by listening to Coldplay or rainforest sounds, but she is desperate for it to stop. "It sent me nuts in the beginning," she recalled.
"There are days when it feels like it rattles my ears. It is a buffeting sound, like pressure buffeting my ear drums. I put on the TV or radio to drown it out. I have my Alexa on at night, playing rainforest sounds. The hum resonates through everything in the house."
Yvonne isn't the only person in Halifax to complain about the hum. Visitors to her house have reported hearing it and around 50 other local people have been in touch to report their concerns. People as far away as Queensbury say they can hear it.
"It is a low-frequency sound. Anything it passes through it resonates. I want to stop it and sort it out."
Her campaigning, which has seen her story featured in newspapers and magazines, had led to people from across the world emailing and phoning. Some have suggested it could be caused by a large fan, or by a biomass boiler.
"I have had a lady on this morning (from Scotland) who says she has had enough. Mentally she is broken, she said. Whatever it is, these things (causing the hum) are all over the place. And they are not fit for human ears."
Yvonne's concerns have been taken up by local councillor Nikki Kelly who has asked Calderdale Council for an update on the private contractor's findings. In a question to the council, she said: "To date, the findings have not been shared with residents, and no further action has been taken. The situation has been ongoing for an extensive period and has severely affected the mental health of residents. Please can an update be provided, and what actions are to be taken in addressing the 'Holmfield Hum'."
Cllr Jenny Lynn, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: "We understand that the alleged noises are distressing for some residents. We care about local people’s wellbeing and have listened to their concerns throughout our investigations.
"We have focused a significant amount of time and resources on this long-standing and complex case, including extensive efforts to try to identify the alleged noises. Challenges that have made noise detection difficult include the local topography, the mixed residential/commercial urban environment, and the fact that the alleged noises can’t be heard by everyone.
"Due to the complexity of the case and the impact on some residents, we asked an independent noise consultant to assess the outcome of our investigations. It has always been our intention to share the conclusion with the complainants, Ward Councillors and the MP, and we will do this as soon as possible, in line with our continued approach to keeping them updated throughout our investigations."
