Environmental Noise & Vibration

Environmental Noise

When a new development or project is being considered, there will often be a requirement to undertake an assessment of the noise climate. This can be for the purpose of assessing industrial uses and their impact on existing noise sensitive areas, or it can be used to assess the impact of the existing general ambient noise climate on proposed noise sensitive uses such as residential or schools. 

It is noted that assessment of environmental noise is generally required for most new planning applications to assess the impact of noise on new developments.

PDA’s services include:

• Environmental noise assessment surveys
• Significant experience of BS4142:2014, BS8233:2014 and WHO Guidelines for Community Noise
• Outline assessments and initial options
• Significant experience in the modelling of sound propagation. 
• Noise control design and project management
• Technical support for negotiation with Local Authorities
• Commissioning Survey of the completed development

Planning

The starting point for all building projects is to obtain planning permission and this involves an environmental noise survey.

The National Planning Policy Framework provides guidance to local authorities in England on the use of their planning powers to minimise the adverse impact of noise. An environmental noise survey together with recommendations for noise mitigation from a qualified acoustic consultant will be used in the determination of planning applications for residential or other noise-sensitive developments that will be exposed to existing noise sources.

For new residential developments local authorities will often require that a sound insulation scheme to meet the requirements of BS:8233 / WHO guidelines is submitted as part of the planning application. The local authorities may also request an assessment to BS:4142 where a component of industrial / commercial noise is present at the proposed site.

New industrial and or commercial developments may require an assessment to BS:4142 as part of their planning application.

PDA’s consultants have had a lead role in the preparation of the latest versions of BS:8233 and BS:4142 leading to extensive understanding of the standards required. This allows us to successfully engage and involve the local environmental health officer throughout the survey and design process in order to ensure a positive outcome when the application is heard.

PDA’s services include:

• Liaising with Local Authority environmental protection to ensure any assessment comply with their requirements at the outset.
• Undertake the relevant noise and vibration surveys at the site to establish the existing ambient levels.
• Undertake noise modelling to assess the impact of the noise levels.
• Where required provide efficient and cost effective design advice to mitigate noise levels.
• Prepare reports suitable for submission to Local Planning Authorities for new applications or to discharge existing conditions.

Ground Borne Vibration

The perception of ground borne vibration within a building often raises concerns about the potential for building damage, be this cosmetic or structural. In the majority of cases the levels of vibration necessary to promote building damage would make continued occupation of the building intolerable.

In the assessment of ground borne vibration PDA can offer the following services:

• Ambient vibration surveys
• Interpretation of the results of surveys and assessment of the possible impacts of the measured vibration levels
• Provision of advice on the physical measured required to mitigate the effects of vibration
• Provision of detailed specifications for building foundations, floors, walls etc

Soundscape Surveys

Soundscape represents a paradigm shift from noise control policies towards a new multidisciplinary approach as it involves not only physical measurements but also humans and social sciences with a focus on how people actually experience an acoustic environment in context.

Soundscape is defined as ‘the acoustic environment as perceived or experienced by and/or understood by a person or people, in context’. Much has been debated in recent years about exactly what ‘context’ is in the light of BS4142:2014. In soundscape the context is meant as the physical place where the acoustic environment exists, and according to the ISO definition it ‘includes the interrelationship between person and activity and place and time and may influence soundscape through the auditory sensation, the interpretation of auditory sensation, and the response to the acoustic environment’.

In March 2012 the Department for Communities and Local Government replaced over a thousand pages of national policy with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The NPPF was some fifty pages and left a vast vacuum in that it did not contain any objective numbers. What it did contain was a clear statement as to what planning policies should aim to achieve.

In the NPPF, at paragraph 123, the fourth aim is stated as:

“identify and protect areas of tranquillity which have remained relatively undisturbed by noise and are prized for their recreational and amenity value for this reason.”

Whilst this is clearly a desirable objective there is no guidance on how to identify, let alone protect, these areas of tranquillity.

PDA Ltd can conduct surveys in full accordance with the ISO 12913 series of standards. When local authorities are faced with an application to develop what may be an area of ‘tranquillity’ then a Soundscape survey by PDA Ltd will provide the evidence as to whether the area is an area of tranquillity and must be protected. Alternatively, it may show that the area is not tranquil and may be developed.

This provides local authorities with certainty about their decisions on planning issues.