The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

x Mayor of London
The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy
health and wellbeing. Very high levels of noise can damage hearing.
However, the levels of ambient or environmental noise experienced by city
residents, even close to busy roads or airports, are well below these levels.
Wellbeing may be affected by sleep disturbance, stress, and in other
indirect ways. However, evidence for the indirect health effects of noise is
less conclusive than, for example, air pollutants such as fine particles.
Noise can also contribute to inequalities in health. For example, many
believe that higher levels of traffic noise are more likely to be experienced
by socially deprived groups in areas more affected by busy roads.
14 A diverse range of guideline values, and legal and administrative
processes are currently used in the UK for different aspects of noise. For
example, regulations specify noise levels above which, in certain
circumstances, offers should be made of home insulation against noise
from new transport schemes. National planning policy guidance on noise
sets out issues local planning authorities must take into account in
considering noise sensitive developments, and activities likely to generate
noise. The Government’s Air Transport White Paper, December 2003, sets
out new noise mitigation and compensation criteria which it expects
airports to apply.
15 The European Environmental Noise Directive of 2002 is helping to change
the profile of noise, and the UK Government has set out steps aimed at
agreeing national policies by 2007. These include mapping the main areas
and sources of noise, work to establish adverse effects, techniques to
improve or preserve conditions, economic analysis and prioritising actions.
This is a long process. The Mayor wishes to contribute constructively to it,
as far as resources allow. The immediate priority of this London Ambient
Noise Strategy is to use opportunities to take practical action where there
is scope, and resources can be found. However, no-one should pretend
that it will be quick and easy to reduce noise levels significantly across a
big and busy city. London does not yet have a proper estimate of the
numbers of people exposed to different levels of ambient noise or of the
costs of reducing noise to levels which would solve the problems people
experience. It is not realistic to set timescales for achieving target
reductions, until the necessary facts, budgets, incentives and legal powers
are available. The Mayor will pursue these.
Using the Mayor’s transport powers
16 Many aspects of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy will lead to a quieter
London. If more people walk, cycle or use a modernised, well-maintained,
well-run public transport system, noise will be lower than if public
transport decays while driving becomes more aggressive.