Science & Tech
Harry Fletcher
Dec 07, 2022
content.jwplatform.com
Yorkshire residents living in the village of Holmfield have spoken about their struggles with a ‘mysterious hum’ which is making their lives a misery.
Some people can’t hear it at all, but it's constantly affecting a growing number of locals and the cause of the noise is still unconfirmed after a two year wait.
The village is located at the bottom of a valley, which is surrounded by a number of industrial units including wind turbines. Some locals have previously claimed that the units are to blame, but the source of the problem has yet to be found.
The noise is described as a ‘constant drone like a washing machine or a diesel engine’, and the hum impacts physically on the ears of residents like Yvonne Connor.
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Speaking to BBC News, Connor said: "I love my home but some days I absolutely detest being in it. It feels like there's no happy space here any more."
Speaking about the “Holmfield hum”, she said that it has been bothering her since way back in 2019.
"As much as I can hear it I can feel it on my eardrums. It resonates and feels like a pressure against them. That's pretty much what it's like all the time."
BBC Look North 13th October 2021 The Halifax ‘hum’ that’s making people illwww.youtube.com
She added: "One particular night I woke about 5.30am with a start. 'For God's sake', I thought, I could hear it through my pillow. The only thing I could do was to put my headphones on, play music, lie on my back and hope somehow, I could just forget it was there. But it's impossible and it feels like this never-ending cycle of torture."
It’s not just Yvonne, either. A petition was signed which caused Calderdale Council to launch an investigation in 2020.
The council said it had "given its all to the investigation and left no stone unturned" but had decided to close the case.
The hum is causing chaos in HolmfieldBBC News
Councillor Jenny Lyons, cabinet member for public services and communities, said: "At this time, we are unable to take matters further. We know that this is not the outcome that the complainants were hoping for, but we have exhausted all current lines of inquiry.
"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."
Will the source of the noise ever be found? We’ll have to keep our ears close to the ground on this one.
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