Local information requirements: Noise impact assessment

Types of application that require this information

• Proposals that generate high levels of noise or vibration such as industrial developments using noisy machinery (eg joinery workshops, refrigeration plant & equipment), noisy sports, public houses, nightclubs etc
• Proposals for commercial or entertainment uses which involve externally mounted extract equipment
• Proposals for commercial or entertainment uses, in premises sharing a party wall or ceiling with residential uses
• New noise or vibration sensitive uses (eg housing) adjacent to major sources of noise such as roads, railways, industrial and commercial (including existing entertainment venues)

Details of what should be included

• Description of site and surrounding area
• Description of use and noise emissions
• Noise and / or vibration Survey details and full results
• Details of noise / vibration assessment criteria to relevant British Standard
• Subjective description of noise / vibration sources
• Assessment and calculations
• Construction and demolition phase assessment
• Conclusions and details of mitigation required

The purpose of a noise assessment is to determine whether the development will have a significant impact on existing noise levels or whether the existing noise environment is unacceptable for the proposed development when all appropriate forms of mitigation have been considered.

The three main ways a development may have a significant impact are:

• If the development is likely to cause a deterioration in the local noise environment (ie once completed it will increase noise levels)
• If the development is located in an area of high noise or vibration (ie it will expose future occupiers to unacceptable noise levels or unacceptable vibration levels)
• If the demolition / construction phase will have a significant impact on the local environment through increased noise levels