The Mayor's Ambient Noise Strategy - Greater London Authority

The Mayor’s Ambient Noise Strategy Mayor of London 73
4A.30 Noise mapping provides opportunities to examine how noise propagation
from roads may be modified. The effectiveness of noise barriers or making
cutting walls and other surfaces sound absorbing can be assessed. Costs
and benefits need to be assessed in relation to other mitigation options,
including building insulation, taking account of noise benefits for gardens,
open spaces and pedestrian areas.
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As resources allow, Transport for London will, and London boroughs and
others should, investigate the potential benefits of noise barriers, other
noise screening and acoustic modifications to highway structures, where
source-related measures would not be effective. Account must be taken
of pedestrian severance and security, vandalism, visual amenity, historic
building and conservation issues, sight-lines and other road safety issues.
Spatial planning and urban design
4A.31 Design innovation to achieve high quality self-protecting forms of
development will need to be encouraged in both redevelopment and
refurbishment alongside busier roads. Suitably self-protecting
development with continuous or near-continuous façades, and linking
development between existing detached properties, can reduce the
propagation of noise, although reverberation, particularly within narrower
‘street canyons’ should also be considered. Development which provides
occupants with a ‘quiet side’ away from the road is generally to be
preferred to development at right angles to the road, where both sides of
the building would be equally noisy. Self-protecting development should,
however, still provide for ‘eyes on the street’ - so that activity on the
street can be seen by adjacent occupiers, to help discourage crime and
vandalism. Good design can enhance opportunities for development of
roadside land, or conversion of buildings to noise-sensitive uses.
Developers and local planning authorities will in many cases have a
mutual interest in achieving noise-related improvements.
4A.32 Given the demands for housing, economic and other development in
London, it will rarely be possible to rely on distance alone to protect
sensitive uses from road traffic noise. One advantage of mixed-use
schemes is that they offer opportunities for the more noise-sensitive uses
to be screened by other activities. Development over suitable roads,
especially in cutting, could provide space for London’s development
needs, while providing noise protection to the surrounding area. It is
recognised that the number of suitable locations is limited, and issues
such as fire safety, control of air pollution, biodiversity, visual amenity and
maintenance need to be considered. Design must be to the highest
standards and proposals must be socially and environmentally acceptable
in other respects. Planning Policy Guidance Note 24 ‘Planning and Noise’,