A woman has been suffering from a mysterious humming noise for almost three years and it has now effectively taken over her life.
Yvonne Conner, 51, claims the so-called 'Holmfield Hum' has sent her 'nuts' and almost caused a nervous breakdown in addition to daily headaches. The professional dog walker says she isn't the only one that can hear the droning noise, with her partner and other local residents complaining about the humming.
Yvonne, who lives in Holmfield, Halifax, said that despite noise monitoring equipment being placed in her house on two separate occasions, the source has still not been discovered. Now, she is worried that Calderdale Council will dismiss the issue and simply close the case without any action, Yorkshire Live reports.
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The troubled Holmfield resident has been pressuring Calderdale Council to update her and other residents on the findings of an independent acoustic consultant who monitored her home from May 19 to 24 this year. She has gone as far as to label the lack of information and communication from the council as 'disgusting' and a 'disgrace'.
After emailing the council several times pleading for information, Yvonne finally received a reply on July 6 which simply contained an apology from a member of the Environmental Health team. Following this, she also received an email from the council who informed her that it had received the report on July 8, but due to delays on the consultant's side" it has not yet been able to "assess the report and discuss the findings with the consultant and managers."
"I am getting p****d off," Yvonne said. "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 added: "Sometimes I think maybe I am being sensitive but, after three years, I don't think I am." On some nights, the humming gets so bad that Yvonne has to wear headphones and listen to Coldplay or 'rainforest' sounds.
Fortunately, she does get small breaks from the incessant noise when in her garden or out in the countryside. Now, she is desperate for it to stop as "it sent me nuts in the beginning."
She added: "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."
Some other local residents have also complained of the humming noise with some visitors to her house reporting hearing it while 50 other local residents reported their concerns. "It is a low-frequency sound. Anything it passes through it resonates. I want to stop it and sort it out," Yvonne said.
"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."
Local councillor Nikki Kelly questioned the council on the findings from the private contractor. She said to the council: "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."
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