Government is making high-density urban living more attractive to buyers by demanding that developers insulate homes better against the sound of slamming doors in apartment blocks, music from neighbours' stereos and heavy passing traffic.
Proposed changes to Part E of the Building Regulations which covers acoustics require homebuilders to upgrade sound insulation significantly within both houses and apartments, and in corridors and stairwells of apartment blocks. Acoustic tests will have to be carried out on new homes, some types of lightweight blocks will be deemed unsuitable for loadbearing walls, beam and block separating flooring will be unacceptable, and a return to wet plaster is advocated for masonry separating walls.

Part E calculates that improved sound insulation in walls of apartments will pose no cost penalties but its measures will add £100 to the build cost of a typical pair of terraced or semi-detached homes. The change to floors in apartments is estimated to add around £1500 to unit cost. Average cost of testing walls and floors prior to completion is put at around £850 per unit.

Homebuilders have until 20 April 2001 to comment on the proposals, and are also being given the chance to alter their comments on Part L, in an attempt to limit conflict between the two documents.