Noise control
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Introduction
1. Noise can have a significant effect on the environment and on the quality
of life enjoyed by individuals and communities. The aim of this guidance
is to provide advice on how the planning system can be used to minimise
the adverse impact of noise without placing unreasonable restrictions on
development or adding unduly to the costs and administrative burdens of
business. It builds upon the principles established in Circular 10/73 "Planning
and Noise", and takes account of the recommendations of the Noise Review
Working Party which reported in October 1990 (HMSO, ISBN 0 11 752343 7).
It outlines some of the main considerations which local planning authorities
should take into account in drawing up development plan policies and when
determining planning applications for development which will either generate
noise or be exposed to existing noise sources.
General principles
2. The impact of noise can be a material consideration in the determination
of planning applications. The planning system has the task of guiding development
to the most appropriate locations. It will be hard to reconcile some land
uses, such as housing, hospitals or schools, with other activities which
generate high levels of noise, but the planning system should ensure that,
wherever practicable, noise-sensitive developments are separated from major
sources of noise (such as road, rail and air transport and certain types
of industrial development). It is equally important that new development
involving noisy activities should, if possible, be sited away from noise-sensitive
land uses. Development plans provide the policy framework within which these
issues can be weighed but careful assessment of all these factors will also
be required when individual applications for development are considered.
Where it is not possible to achieve such a separation of land uses, local
planning authorities should consider whether it is practicable to control
or reduce noise levels, or to mitigate the impact of noise, through the
use of conditions or planning obligations.
Noise policies in development plans
3. Where the development plan is material to the development proposal, section
54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (inserted by section 26 of
the Planning and Compensation Act 1991) requires applications and appeals
to be determined in accordance with the plan, unless material considerations
indicate otherwise. Development plans should give developers and local communities
a degree of certainty about the areas in which particular types of development
will be acceptable and those in which special measures may be required in
order to mitigate the impact of noise. Policies on noise should take account
of the guidance in the rest of this note and in the Annexes: it will generally
be appropriate for these policies to be set out in Part II of Unitary Development
Plans and in district local plans. But in some cases (when dealing with
strategic issues such as development of, or near, major aerodromes, for
example) it may be necessary to include some noise policies in Part I of
UDPs and in structure plans.
4. Where noise policies apply to the plan area as a whole, they should be set out in the same way as other general policies. Area-specific noise policies may be useful in some circumstances and, in such cases, the relevant boundaries should be illustrated on the proposals map. However, it will generally be inappropriate for a proposals map to show detailed noise contours as noise emissions may change significantly over time (eg in the case of an aerodrome, operational changes may lead to significant variations in the impact of the noise on those living in the area).
5. Plans should contain policies designed to ensure, as far as is practicable, that noisesensitive developments are located away from existing sources of significant noise (or programmed development such as new roads) and that potentially noisy developments are located in areas where noise will not be such an important consideration or where its impact can be minimised. It may also be appropriate for local planning authorities to adopt policies to avoid potentially noisy developments in areas, which have remained relatively undisturbed by noise nuisance and are prized for their recreational and amenity value for this reason.
6. The Secretary of State considers that housing, hospitals and schools should generally be regarded as noise-sensitive development, but planning authorities may wish to include other developments or uses within this definition, depending on local circumstances and priorities and, if so, these should be explained in the development plan.
7. Where it is particularly difficult to separate noise-sensitive development from noisy activities, plans should contain an indication of any general policies which the local planning authority propose to apply in respect of conditions or planning obligations.