Almost exactly sixteen years ago I wrote a blog post titled Forking* Hell! about the relentless, sleep-shattering racket of reversing forklift alarms from the Beaver Industrial Estate (aka Chancery Gate Business Park), just a stone’s throw from my home.

It took months of escalating complaints, sound diaries, late-night MP3s, and even a YouTube video to get Ealing Council to take the matter seriously. But eventually, following site visits and interventions, they did. Forklifts were fitted with quieter white noise alarms, acoustic barriers were repaired, and the beeping stopped.

For a while.

We had more beeping in 2013 and 2017. Each time it was the same old story, but also it was eventually resolved.

2025: Guess Who’s Back

After years of relative peace, the problem has returned. Forklifts with traditional beeping alarms are once again reversing their way into my headspace—late at night, early in the morning, and all day long.

This isn’t a one-off. It’s relentless. Some nights, the beeping continues past 11 p.m.; some mornings, it starts before 7 a.m. I work from home. My wife does too. Windows stay shut even in hot weather just to make it bearable.

And once again, I’ve gone through the motions:

• Sent detailed emails to the council
• Provided audio recordings and video footage
• Explained the site history and previous resolutions
• Pointed out that something has changed recently (a broken barrier? a new operator?)

Response time from the council: One week.
Reason for delay: “Your email may have been blocked because it included links.”
Suggested action: “Call us next time it happens.”

Because obviously, I’ve got nothing better to do at 6:45 a.m. than call a noise hotline while forklifts beep through my kitchen window.

A Brief History of Beeping

Here’s the timeline in a nutshell:

• 2009–2010: Original complaint. Acoustic barrier found faulty. Council intervened, site improved.
• 2013: Issue re-emerged. Council visited, spoke to operators, and beeping was replaced with white noise alarms.
• 2017: Warning signs. I emailed again asking them to restrict night operations or use quieter alarms.
• 2025: The beeping has returned. My patience has not.

The Ask (Again)

I’m not asking for miracles. Just the same thing that worked before:

• Site inspection
• Identify the offending units
• Replace the beepers with directional white noise alarms
• Check the acoustic baffle hasn’t fallen apart again
• Remind businesses what Best Practicable Means under the Environmental Protection Act actually means

If you live near the estate and you’re also being disturbed, I encourage you to file your own complaint. Noise pollution doesn’t fix itself.

Want to Hear It?

You can:
🎧 Audio recordings from our kitchen
🎥 Video showing forklifts in action (YouTube)

Déjà Beep

History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes, said Mark Twain.

In my case, history reverses slowly, with a loud, repetitive beep that echoes off corrugated warehouse walls and slices through what was once known as my attention and the “quiet enjoyment” of my home.

*Thanks again to Andy C