Environmental noise and noise impact assessment for planning
Every site sits within a soundscape: a busy road, a rail line, a flight path, a neighbouring restaurant's extract fan. Environmental noise assessment tells you what that soundscape is, how it affects the building you are designing, and how your building might affect its neighbours. Done early, it shapes the layout, the façade and the ventilation strategy instead of forcing late changes.
When you need an environmental noise assessment
- Planning applications. Local planning authorities often ask for a noise impact assessment, especially for new homes near transport or commercial noise, or for new uses that introduce noise, such as plant, hospitality or venues.
- Planning conditions. Many consents include noise conditions that must be discharged with a survey or a report before work starts or before occupation.
- Design development. Understanding external noise levels early lets the team set façade, glazing and ventilation performance with confidence.
- Change of use. Converting a building, or bringing a noise-sensitive use next to an existing noise source, needs careful assessment so that both can coexist.
What the assessment involves
Baseline noise survey. We measure existing noise levels on site with calibrated instrumentation, using attended and unattended monitoring as the situation demands. The survey captures how the soundscape changes over day and night.
Assessment against policy and guidance. We assess the measurements against the relevant planning policy and standards. In England these commonly include the National Planning Policy Framework, ProPG: Planning & Noise for new residential development, BS 8233 for internal noise levels and BS 4142 for industrial and commercial sound such as building services plant.
Mitigation that respects the design. Where mitigation is needed, we look for the solution that fits the architecture: layout and orientation, façade and glazing specification, acoustic ventilation strategies, screening, or quieter plant selection. We talk options through with the design team before anything is fixed.
A clear, defensible report. Our reports are written for planning officers and environmental health teams, and they are just as readable for architects and clients.
International projects
Outside the UK, planning and noise frameworks differ. Our studios in Milan, New York, Dubai and Hong Kong let us work with local teams while keeping the same approach to measurement and reporting.
Related services
- Planning and expert advice: licensing, noise nuisance and appeals
- Building services noise and vibration: plant noise and BS 4142
- Measurement and testing
- Residential acoustics
- Restaurant and hospitality acoustics
Discuss your site
Send us the site address, the proposal and any planning conditions, and we will tell you what assessment is likely to be needed. Book a consultation, call 020 3949 1597 or email hello@auris-consultancy.com.