In article , JJE O'Connor
writes
I've moved into a house next to a busy main road. Does anyone one have any
advice on how I can minimise noise please ? I do not wanty to build a wall
or a fence. I was thinking of a hedge , in which case what sort of hedge
would be most effective ?

You would do equally well to post to alt.sci.physics.acoustics

However, planting has a negligible effect on noise levels, unless you
can plant with rain-forest type density - ie many many plants, very
close together. The psychological effect is greater than the actual
numerical effect in terms of dB.

You would be better off building a fence/wall, then, if you don't like
how that looks, planting either side of it to hide it. The fence, will
have a noticeable benefit anywhere that the line of sight to the road is
broken. The fence should be close boarded, imperforate and timber
(typically marine grade ply, or similar heavy wood).

(In case you are wondering, I am a Senior Acoustic Consultant with Sound
Research Laboratories Ltd, in London, UK)
--
Nick Treby