Environmental Noise Policy
Environmental noise policy is driven by European legislation. The EU 6th Action Programme Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice sets out the aim for the noise climate of Europe:"to achieve reduction of the number of people regularly affected by long-term high noise levels from an estimated 100 million people in the year 2000, by around 10% in 2010 and by 20% in 2020."
The Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC (END) has no quantitative goal for noise reduction, but sets out an ongoing programme of noise mapping and noise action planning, that are aimed at:"preventing or reducing noise exposure and preserving environmental noise quality where currently good."
The noise mapping process is a large data modelling exercise and the UK has the most cities to map of all the EU states. The strategic noise maps produced are to be used to inform the development of noise action plans. Noise Action Plans will set out how noise exposure can be reduced and how environmental noise quality can be preserved. This work is being undertaken on a rolling five year programme that aims to prioritise the management of noise that is having the greatest impact on current populations. Member States must also identify quiet areas in cities and protect quiet areas in open country – the END leaves it to Member States themselves to decide how to go about this.
Noise Policy Statement England
The Noise Policy Statement England was published in March 2010 and commits government in England to including noise considerations in policy making across departments and applies to all forms of environmental, neighbour and neighbourhood noise (it does not apply to workplace noise). It sets out a noise policy vision to: Promote good health and a good quality of life through the effective management of noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable development.
You can read it here:
http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/news/detail/?id=2411
Find out more about environmental noise:
National Noise Strategy
There is currently no overarching policy statement governing the management of noise in the UK. Environmental Protection UK (formerly NSCA) have been lobbying for a number of years for joined up thinking to protect people and environments from intrusive noise.
Noise is a transboundary problem, particularly that from transport sources, therefore we would like to see integrated thinking on managing noise across the UK administrations and across Government departments, with an expert group on noise to inform policy development, as there is in for air quality.
Related Documents:
Background
In 2001 in the English Government consulted on a seven year programme 'Towards an Ambient Noise Strategy'. In Spring 2006 a neighbourhood noise strategy was initiated, to be incorporated into the ambient strategy. Defra has undertaken research on various aspects of noise, and undertaken informal consultation with stakeholders to inform the developing strategy – but as yet there is no sign of a formal consultation, promised for 2007.
It is an anomaly that the London Local Authorities Act mandated the GLA to produce a Noise Strategy for London in 2003.
Find out more about the UK Government's work on environmental noise:
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Noise Mapping in the UK
Noise mapping is a technique used to model levels of outdoor noise. Noise maps are contour maps showing where relative noise levels and methods of mapping noise have evolved. The EU mandated that all Member States were to submit data on noise, by December 2007, for:
- Major cities (areas of population over 250,000)
- Major airports
- Roads
- Railways
To see which cities and airports are included in this first round see our Noise Action Planning briefing.
The information from the strategic noise maps is to be used by the Statutory Authority designated in each state (in the UK, the Secretary of State), to draw up Noise Action Plans, which will set out managing noise to minimise the impact. The END does not give any targets for acceptable noise levels, however the World Health Organisation community guidelines for noise are generally accepted as standards to aspire to in order to protect health. New night time guidelines for noise in Europe are expected to be published by WHO. Find out more about Noise and Health.
Member States must also actively disseminate and communicate noise mapping to the public. An expert EU working group has drawn up advice on how best states can go about communicating noise to the public – recommending colour bands to identify relative noise levels.
To comply with the Environmental Noise Directive (END) and the Environmental Noise Regulations, Noise Maps have been developed for Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. Further details are available at:
Find out more by reading our
Noise Mapping Briefing
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Noise Action Planning
Environmental noise, which is largely traffic noise, is the most widely heard noise. However noise from road transport is not widely complained about. We must all accept some noise as a consequence of the benefits of transport, but where that noise reaches disturbing levels, there are measures that can be taken to manage it. Solutions include quieter road surfaces, quieter tyres, quieter vehicles, traffic management, traffic reduction. See our briefing paper Towards Quieter Cities, which sets out measures to reduce noise.
Noise Action Plans were to have been drawn up by July 2008, setting out measures to reduce noise, and submitted to the EC by December 2008. Like many Member States, the UK are behind in the process.
While noise action plans are to be drafted to local levels, many of the measures that will make a real difference to transport noise have to be tackled at national, European and international level. Environmental Protection UK are working with partners in the UK and Europe towards a quieter UK – and
world.
We published information leaflets about noise mapping and action planning in September 2009, on behalf of Defra and the Scottish Government - Managing Transport Noise in Cities.Further information in also available in our Managing Transport Noise section.
Related Documents:
Further information:
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Quiet Areas
Under the Environmental Noise Directive, member states are mandated to identify quiet areas in agglomerations, and to protect quiet areas in open country. There is no guidance as to what constitutes a quiet area. For the UK, Defra commissioned a report by the Transport Research Laboratory, and the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006 set regulations which require the Secretary of State to identify quiet areas. However, it is now believed that quiet areas are best defined locally, as part of the noise action planning process. Birmingham City Council have worked to do this to protect Quiet areas in the city.
In early 2009 Defra consulted on proposed amendments to the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006, to require quiet areas to be identified in England as part of the noise action planning process, as they were in Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland. The new Environmental Noise (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 were published on 1st July 2009 and will come into force on 25 July 2009.
See our Quiet Areas Briefing.
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