PUBLIC Health Officials believe they have traced the source of the high-pitched whining noise that has been plaguing Penarth people for some weeks.

Members of Penarth Council were told on Monday that the trouble is caused by powerful fans at the National Coal Board’s multi-heat plant three miles away from Penarth.

Penarth’s Senior Public Health Inspector, Mr D. P. Nowell carried out extensive checks in the Penarth area after receiving numerous complaints from local residents, mostly in the evenings.

But after failing to track down the source of the noise within the town boundaries he called in Cardiff City Health Officials to investigate the Cardiff area.

Now, after taking sound level readings at night, and carrying out a noise frequency survey, they report that the noise comes from the Coal Board’s multi-heat plant near the entrance to Roath Dock.

Mr Nowell said: “Their investigations show that there are two fans working at the plant.

“The first is a 25 h.p. extractor fan situated in the open, and which has no soundproofing around it.

“The second is a 150 h.p. fan, blowing air into the plant.

Sound level readings taken when the fans were working and when they were switched off, showed a reduction of 10 decibels, at least halving the noise level, when they were switched-off.

Mr Nowell said that there were no complaints when the fans were not working from Monday to Thursday last week.

But after they were started up again last Friday, further complaints were received at the weekend.

“This and the sound level readings, seem to pinpoint the trouble to these works, and, in particular, to the fans,” he said.

“The position now is that the matter is back with the Coal Board for action to be taken to reduce or eliminate the noise.”

A PENARTH bookmaker asked Penarth Council on Monday to reject a plan for a block of luxury flats at Marine Parade, and offered to make a donation of £5,000 towards buying the site and turning it into a park for old people.

But members of the Planning Committee turned down the offer, made by Mr Wilfred Sherman, and gave outline planning permission for flats and garages on land adjoining “Dros-y-Mor.”