| THE LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
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| Please list all relevant laws, enactment's, standards etc. (where possible giving information about how they interrelate) |
All UK registered vehicles must comply with vehicle noise approval requirements according to EC Directive 84/424/EEC.
The Noise Insulation Regulations 1973, 1975 and 1988 made under the Land Compensation Act 1973) provide for the noise insulation of house where road traffic noise from a new or significantly altered road exceeds 68 LA10,18hr, predicted or measured 1m from an eligible facade. |
| NOISE LIMITS (where stated)
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What noise limits are used ? Please give details of these in terms of
- how and where they are specified
- metric used
- day and night limits
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There are no road traffic noise limit values in the UK. Predictions of future road traffic noise levels are required as part of the environmental appraisal of all new road schemes, but the results are merely a factor to be taken into account when deciding on the optimum scheme. Where feasible, it is becoming customary to provide noise barriers, speed reductions, or absorbent road surfaces to reduce the number of properties where the 68 LA10,18hr noise insulation criterion is exceeded. |
| Is the assessment of noise against the limits based on measurement, prediction or both ? |
Noise levels are preferably determined by a calculation method, although measurements are permitted. |
| DERIVATION OF NOISE LIMITS
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| Please give summary details on the basis of these noise limits e.g. on which research findings and/or practical considerations |
The use of the LA10,18hr noise index for road traffic noise environmental appraisal is based on historic road traffic noise studies. The derivation of the 68 LA10,18hr criterion for entitlement to noise insulation is not traceable. |
| Is further research planned or considered necessary ? |
The is increasing concern that the LA10,18hr noise index does not fully reflect public reactions under all circumstances in which it is applied and a number of research projects have been carried out recently, or are underway, to address this point. |
| THE LEGISLATIVE OR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
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| Please list all relevant laws, enactment's, standards etc. (where possible giving information how they interrelate) |
There are no railway type approval noise requirements in the UK. The Noise Insulation (Railway and Other Guided Transport Systems) Regulations 1995 (made under the Land Compensation Act 19730 provides for the noise insulation of houses where railway noise from a new or significantly altered railway exceeds 68 LAeq,18hr (0600-2400 day) or 63 LAeq,6hr (2400-0600 night), predicted or measured at 1m from an eligible facade. |
| NOISE LIMITS (where stated)
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What noise limits are used ? Please give details of these in terms of
- how and where they are specified
- metric used
- day and night limits
|
There are no railway noise limits in the UK. Prediction of future railway noise levels are required as part of the environmental appraisal of all new railway schemes, but the results are merely a factor to be taken into account when deciding on the optimum scheme. |
| Is the assessment of noise against the limits based on measurement, prediction or both ? |
Noise levels are preferably determined by a calculation method, although measurements are permitted. |
| DERIVATION OF NOISE LIMITS
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| Please give summary details on the basis of these noise limits e.g. on which research findings and/or practical considerations |
The use of the LAeq noise index is based on the results of historic railway noise studies, together with an appraisal of international trends towards a wider adoption of LAeq type noise indices. The 18hour LAeq is used for daytime noise to maintain consistency with the existing road traffic noise insulation regulations. The 68 LAeq,18hr and 63 LAeq,6hr criteria were selected for assumed consistency with the existing road traffic noise insulation regulations, as based on a review of published road traffic and railway noise research. |
| Is further research planned or considered necessary ? |
None identified at present. Existing railway noise from well-established routes is not generally considered to be a major problem and very few residents have been significantly affected by new railway noise in recent years. |