1. Introduction
1.1 BackgroundPublic awareness and expectations with regard to the environment has increased in recent years. This has led to a demand for more detailed information on the quality of that environment. Such information is used not only to inform us of the current quality of our environment, but also to plan for the future by shaping policies that can improve the situation. For example, air quality is now monitored at nearly 100 fully automated stations across the UK, and daily newspapers and weather reports include information on local air quality. However, information on population exposure to environmental noise, is lacking. The 1993 Fifth Environmental Action Programme started to remedy this and included a number of basic targets for noise exposure to be reached by the year 2000.
In 1996 two Green Papers highlighted the need for better information on noise climate assessment.
Firstly, in April 1996 the UK Government's Green Paper 'Transport: The Way Forward' undertook to keep under review a number of matters relating to the reduction in noise pollution from transport sources and pointed to a lack of information on noise exposure
Secondly, in November 1996 the European Commission issued a Green Paper entitled 'Future Noise Policy' which amongst other recommendations suggested that better information on population exposure to noise pollution was needed as a first step to improving Europe's noise climate.
In December 1996 the Department of the Environment (DoE) commissioned Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to carry out a review of noise climate assessment around the UK and across the rest of the European Union (EU). This report summarises the findings of that review.
1.2 Scope and Objectives
1.2.1 ScopeThe study scope and aims can be summarised as follows.
The review is divided into two 'projects' :
- Project 1 - The review of noise mapping techniques in European countries other than the UK; and
- Project 2 - The examination of existing information and strategies for local area assessment by local authorities in the UK.
The term noise mapping is used in the broadest sense. It can be implemented from measured or predicted noise data, it can be applied over a small area or more widely to cover complete towns or transport routes, or it can utilise geographic information systems (GIS) containing Ordnance Survey maps and population information. Noise mapping can be used as a strategic planning tool in the control of population exposure to environmental noise. If truly predictive, it can inform policy makers on the implications of possible strategies for reducing exposure (for example, by testing the effect of a modal shift from private car use to public transport or rail transport).
This report discusses various noise mapping techniques and strategies in detail and, by analysing practices elsewhere in Europe and within UK local authorities, comments on what options are available to better our understanding of the UK noise climate.
The noise climate across the EU is dominated by noise from transportation, but the scope of this review is not limited to just transportation noise because other sources, such as industrial plant and leisure activities, are major sources of noise pollution in some areas.
The objective of the review of European practice is to establish the types of noise mapping systems used in other EU countries in terms of:
- the methodology used;
- the purpose, including links to planning and environmental strategies;
- how far the original objectives have been met; and
- the costs of the systems.
The objectives of the review of UK practice are:
- to investigate the type and extent of information on noise climates commonly gathered by local authorities (by measurement or by prediction);
- the methods used; and
- the purposes for which such information is used.
Following this introduction the remainder of the report is structured as follows:
Section 2 describes the approach taken to the study, lists some other related studies and summarises the key findings of one particularly relevant study;
Section 3 reports the results of the European review;
Section 4 reports the results of the UK review;
Section 5 is an analysis and summary of the two reviews; and
Section 6 summarises the conclusions of the study.
Three Annexes provide additional information:
Annex A Extracts from the Integrated System for Implementing Sustainability (ISIS) Project;
Annex B Legislative Background for European Review; and
Annex C UK Local Authority Questionnaire.
The principal authors of this report are:
Simon Hewitt - Project Director;
Steve Mitchell - Project Manager;
Stuart Dryden - Technical Reviewer; and
Marcus Gilleard - International Studies.
Weauthors would like to thank the following for their assistance in supplying information and guidance during this review.
Department of Environment
Mary Dyer - past Head of Air and Environment Quality Division 3;
Pam Wynne - past project officer;
Dr Phil Clapp - past project officer;
Stephen Benton - Head of Air and Environment Quality Division 3; and
Mr Megainey - project officer; and.
Carol Tidmarsh - project officer.
National Physical Laboratory
DMr Bernard Berry - Head, Audiometric and Noise Standards.
UK Local Authorities
Birmingham City Council
John Hinton - Environmental Services Department.
Braintree District Council
Lee Crabb - Pollution Manager; and
Ian Haines - Environment Policy Manager.
Congleton Borough Council
John Gerring - Pollution Manager; and
Pip Reynold - Environmental Health Officer.
London Borough of Croydon
Brian Irving - Environmental Health Service.
London Borough of Ealing
Philip Dinn - Principal Pollution Control Manager; and
Steve James - Senior Environmental Health Officer;
Kirklees Borough Council.
Phil Morris -ISIS Project Team;
Johnathan Gatward - ISIS Project Team; and
Steve Jones - University of Huddersfield.
Officials in other EC Countries
Austria
Mr R Thaler - Head of Traffic Division, Ministry of Environment;
Dr Molterer (Mr Gardner) - Ministry of Environment;
Dr Myer - Federal Environment Agency;
Dr K Radunsky - Federal Environment Agency;
Prof Lang - consultant to MoE (former chairman of the Federal Institute for Heat and Sound Technology);
Dr Kalivoda; and
W Spangi (UBA - ozone mapping);
Denmark
Hugo Lyse Nielsen - Danish Environmental Protection;
Jørgen Jacobsen - Daish Environmental Protection Agency (Industry);
Christian Svane - Delta Acoustics; and
Finn Terp - Ministry of Environment.
Germany
Penn Bressel (Dr Wende) - Federal Environment Agency (UBA).
Netherlands
Martin van den Berg - Ministry of Environment (Noise Directorate);
Arno Bouwman - RIVM (the national Institute for public health and environmental protection)
Dr H Miedema - TNO-PG (the Netherlands organisation for applied scientific research); and
Mr Temmer (MoE).
France
Guy Mottard - Ministry of Environment (Industrial Noise);
Karine Soulé - Ministry of Environment (Traffic Noise); and
Pierre Schmeltz - Head of Traffic Section, MoE.
Spain
José Manuel Sanz - Ministry of Environment (Environmental Quality: Noise).
Published 1 June 1999
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