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New Government Noise Policy and Plans Promise Way Forward for Quieter Streets and Open Spaces | 15 Mar 2010

Whether it be the rumble of late night lorries or the rattle of freight trains, many of us are increasingly exposed to transport noise.

Environmental Protection UK¹ therefore welcomes the announcement today by Hilary Benn, of today's long awaited publication of a Noise Policy Statement for England and Noise Action Plans for England.²

Noise Action Plans are the first practical step in work towards reducing the impact of noise from major transport (road and rail) and industry sources, as required by the EU Environmental Noise Directive³. As well noise mitigation, the plans require that existing quiet urban areas are identified and protected.

The Noise Policy Statement for England marks official recognition at last of noise as a pervasive national problem.

"Many of us hear road traffic noise most of the time, with pressure on our transport infrastructure meaning we are now increasingly exposed to noise at night" said Philip Mulligan, Environmental Protection UK Chief Executive.

"Environmental Protection UK welcomes this recognition by Government that noise must be considered in all decision making in order to work towards a quieter, healthier country.

"The first Noise Action Plans should mean that we begin to tackle transport noise, and we hope that work will quickly progress to protect communities suffering impacts from excessive road and rail noise⁴"

Evidence on the health impacts of transport noise is increasing. As well as sleep disturbance, prolonged exposure to noise above 55dB can trigger raised blood pressure and trigger heart attacks. The World Health Organisation5 recommends an annual average night noise exposure not exceeding 40 decibels (dB) – equivalent to a quiet residential street, and work published last year reported that up to 108 heart attacks in Greater London could be caused by prolonged exposure to high levels of road traffic noise⁶.

"For too long it has been unclear where the responsibility for damaging lies. Now we have Government confirmation that all noise makers must bear responsibility," added Mulligan.

"For Noise Action Planning to be successful in redressing the balance between the drone of traffic noise and the sound of people enjoying our streets and open spaces, the consideration of noise must be embedded into the work of all our architects, transport operators, planners, and open spaces managers. It should no longer just be the realm of the noise specialist, who too often is only called in when unbearable noise levels are reached.

"We look forward to finally seeing the consideration of noise, our most pervasive environmental pollutant, integrated into all Government policy."

ENDS

More:

Mary Stevens, Policy Officer mary.stevens@environmental-protection.org.uk
01273 878781/ 07730 061850

Notes to Editors

1. Environmental Protection UK www.environmental-protection.org.uk, is the environmental protection charity supported by pollution control professionals. We have been working for a cleaner, quieter, healthier world since 1898.

2. Noise Action Plans - http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/
Managing Transport Noise in Cities – Environmental Protection UK leaflet - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/news/detail/?id=2207

3. Under the Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END) member states are mandated to produce strategic noise maps to inform noise action planning - noise action planning should set out a procedure designed to manage the effects of noise from transport, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and from sites of industrial activity and to reduce it if necessary, which will avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects of exposure on people and aims at "preventing or reducing noise exposure and preserving environmental noise quality where it is currently good."

4. The M40 Chilterns Environmental Group are working with their local councils for measures to reduce traffic noise - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/news/detail/?id=2361

5. Night Time Noise Guidelines for Europe – WHO Regional Office for Europe 2009 http://www.euro.who.int/InformationSources/Publications/Catalogue/20090904_12.
WHO press release http://www.euro.who.int/mediacentre/PR/2009/20091008_1

6. The Effect of Noise on Physical Health Risk in London – Bernard F Berry http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/noise/ "The estimated number of people in the GLA potentially affected by Acute Myocardial Infarction AMI as a result of exposure to Road Traffic Noise is 108, or about 1.8% of the total number of cases of AMI [5991 in London 2001].For Ischaemic Heart Disease IHD, the estimated number of people in the GLA area potentially affected as a result of exposure to Road Traffic Noise would be 499."

See our also our response to draft Health Protection Agency Report on Environmental Noise in the UK - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/news/detail/?id=2191