Noise Action Plans and Noise Policy Statement for England

The Noise Action Plans published today are not for airports – which were done
during 2009.   These are for road and rail.

16.3.2010   (DEFRA press release)

New evidence has been provided to help road and rail operators decide on the
best way to deal with the impact of noise in the 23 largest urban areas, and near
to major roads and railways across the country.

Target areas have been identified through a series of noise maps, and the relevant
authority will investigate these areas to see what further noise mitigation can
be carried out.

Authorities can propose measures such as sound barriers alongside roads, better
road surfaces, and lower speed limits for drivers. Insulation such as secondary
glazing might also be installed in affected homes.

Also published today, the Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) sets out noise management policy
for the first time in the form of the Government’s long term vision to manage
noise and improve health and quality of life  
through the management of noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable
development. The document seeks to make explicit the implicit underlying principles
and aims regarding noise management and control that are to be found in existing
policy documents, legislation and guidance. The policy statement can be found
at
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise.

 

the Noise Policy Statement for England is at

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/policy/documents/noise-policy.pdf   (10 pages)

Environment Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:

"Noise pollution can have a real impact on people’s lives and their health. We
can’t just turn down the volume along major transport routes, which millions of
people use every day, but we’re asking for local solutions to make sure the effects
of noise are properly managed, in order to improve health and quality of life."

Notes to editors

  • Under the Environmental Noise Directive, ‘Noise Action Plans’ are to be set up
    in the following 23 urban areas, or ‘agglomerations’: Birkenhead, Blackpool, Bournemouth,
    Brighton, Bristol, Coventry, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham,
    Portsmouth, The Potteries (including Cheshire East, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Stafford,
    Staffordshire Moorlands and Stoke on Trent), Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton,
    Southend, Teeside,Tyneside, West Midlands and West Yorkshire.
  • The noisiest areas of England were identified through Defra’s series of "noise
    maps", which established noise levels through computer modelling. More background
    can be found on our Noise Mapping England website and clicking on "Maps and charts".
  • Noise action plans and the Noise Policy Statement for England.
  • The process of establishing Quiet Areas will begin in July 2010.
  • The Noise Policy Statement for England is intended to make explicit the underlying
    implicit principles and aims within current policy documents, legislation and
    guidance.

 

Below are some sections of the Noise Policy Statement:

Noise Policy Aims

Through the effective management and control of environmental, neighbour and
neighbourhood noise within the context of Government policy on sustainable development:

 avoid significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life;

 mitigate and minimise adverse impacts on health and quality of life; and

 where possible, contribute to the improvement of health and quality of life

 

What types of noise are addressed by the Noise Policy Statement for England?

2.5 The intention is that the NPSE should apply to all types of noise apart from
noise in the workplace (occupational noise). For the purposes of the NPSE, "noise"
includes:

 "environmental noise" which includes noise from transportation sources;

 "neighbour noise" which includes noise from inside and outside people‟s homes;
and

 "neighbourhood noise" which includes noise arising from within the community
such as industrial and entertainment premises, trade and business premises, construction
sites and noise in the street.


What will the Noise Policy Statement for England achieve?

2.6 The application of the NPSE should mean that noise is properly taken into
account at the appropriate time. In the past, the opportunity for the cost effective
management of noise has often been missed because the noise implications of a
particular policy, development or other activity have not been considered at an
early enough stage.

2.7 In addition, the application of the NPSE should enable noise to be considered
alongside other relevant issues and not to be considered in isolation. In the
past, the wider benefits of a particular policy, development or other activity
may not have been given adequate weight when assessing the noise implications.


2.8 In the longer term, the Government hopes that existing policies could be
reviewed (on a prioritised basis), and revised if necessary, so that the policies
and any noise management measures being adopted accord with the vision, aims and
principles of the NPSE.