say that the legislation preventing them from doing so makes no sense in that it is arbitrary and has very little to do with regulating traffic or noise.

Of course it has very little to do with traffic or noise.
It is everything to do with controlling people. Making it impossible to be self employed. Forcing small time people to rent two properties just so that "room" is in the correct zoning.

This is all about control and destroying prosperity.
Any official trying to enforce such things should be locked away if they don't cease their destructive ways.