Environmental Impact Assessments

A Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment will often be required as part of a planning application by a Local Authority (such as Environmental Health), in order to determine the likelihood of adverse impact produced by transportation sources or industrial/commercial units for example.

A Noise Impact Assessment involves a baseline noise monitoring survey where the sources of noise are identified and measurements are taken on site. We follow the guidance provided in the ProPG Planning and Noise for New Residential Developments. We provide Acoustic Design Statements recommending design advice to achieve guideline internal noise levels and mitigation measures where necessary. Where there are industrial/commercial units, a BS 4142 assessment is carried out to determine the likelihood of adverse impact at the noise sensitive receptors. We provide noise control advice where noise has an adverse impact at noise sensitive receptor locations and aim to reduce noise levels to as low as reasonably practicable.

Where vibration impact assessments are required, we carry out vibration baseline monitoring and compare to the relevant standards and guidelines. We provide advice and mitigation measures on how to reduce the impact of vibration at sensitive receptor locations.

We will prepare a noise and vibration impact assessment report, which can be submitted to form part of a planning application.

We also carry out noise impact assessments in line with ETSU-R-97 “The Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms” and the Institute of Acoustics – “A good practice guide to the application of ETSU-R-97 for the assessment and rating of wind turbine noise – May 2013”. We provide noise impact assessments which consider the cumulative noise impact from installed, permitted and proposed wind turbines in the locality.