The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

176 Mayor of London
The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy
issue in the evening or at night, notably for new primary care facilities in
residential areas. Providing high quality health care services for patients
also means that noise needs to be controlled, particularly in very noise
sensitive areas such as wards, operating theatres, delivery rooms,
treatment rooms, examination and consulting rooms, and staff sleeping
areas. The National Health Service has its own guidelines for managing
noise. Hospitals are exempt from the parts of the Building Regulations
dealing with sound transmission in buildings. Health Technical
Memorandum 2045 14 gives advice and guidance to healthcare
management, design engineers, estates managers and operations
managers on legal requirements, design implications, maintenance and
other measures. Environmental noise criteria for noise emissions from
hospital developments are typically specified by local planning authorities
for site boundaries, following guidance in PPG24.
policy 71
policy 72
The Mayor will urge the Government to provide an effective framework of
regulation, enforcement, information and resources for external and
internal noise insulation in support of trends towards higher density
housing and mixed-use development. Elements include:
■ Rigorously monitoring implemention of Building Regulations on sound
transmission. In particular, if ‘Robust Standard Details’ are used,
requiring an element of independent on-site acoustic testing to ensure
that constructions do in practice always meet or exceed the necessary
standards, and ensuring provision of suitable information to
purchasers;
■ Including noise in Decent Homes criteria, the new Housing Health and
Safety Rating System (HHSRS), and other mechanisms, in such ways as
to ensure effective action to target the worst-affected housing;
■ Support for training and information on practical noise reduction in
housing for building trades, materials and equipment suppliers,
landlords and occupiers.
The Mayor will urge boroughs and other social housing providers to,
where practicable and cost-effective:
■ Demonstrate good acoustic design practice both in new housing, and
in regeneration, refurbishment and maintenance, with particular regard
to courtyard remodelling, replacement window programmes, and
internal sound insulation;
■ Provide information on practical noise reduction in both existing and
new housing for landlords and occupiers;
■ Integrate action on noise as far as possible with programmes to
address fuel poverty.