Don't stop searching for mysterious Holmfield hum plea by frustrated residents

Frustrated residents who have complained about the Holmfield hum

For more than a year residents in Holmfield, Halifax, have been plagued by a low humming sound they believe may have an industrial source.

In an ongoing change.org petition and a Facebook page, residents affected have said this impacts on people’s physical and mental health including lack of sleep, headaches, ear pain, stress and anxiety, among other things.

Following a recent residents’meeting one resident raised the issue at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet expressing concern that the council’s Environmental Health team may be winding their investigation down without the problem being pinpointed.

But Coun Scott Patient (Lab, Luddenden Foot), Cabinet member for Climate Change and Resilience, said investigations would continue.

“It is a complex case and our inquiries have identified lots of potential sources.

“The service is convinced there is not one single source of noise and some have been discounted.

“They are still making tenable inquiries and as long as this exists will continue to investigate,” he said.

Coun Patient said he would encourage residents to record noises and councillors and Halifax MP Holly Lynch would be continually updated on the situation.

Calderdale was working with neighbouring authorities, he added.

Impacting on residents in Holmfield, Bradshaw and even neighbouring Queensbury in Bradford, Calderdale and Bradford Councils have done some work to try and identify the source.

Organisers of the change.org petition – https://www.change.org/p/calderdale-metropolitan-bourgh-council-stop-the-holmfield-hum – are aiming to reach at least 500 signatures to ensure the issue stays in the public eye.

They believe the councils need to carry out low frequency noise measurements in and outside suspected buildings and via the petition are urging them to try and detect the source by triangulation with a microphone array to pin point the exact source of the noise.

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