Policy paper

Noise action plans: large urban areas, roads and railways (2014)

Noise action plans (Round 2) for agglomerations (large urban areas), roads (including major roads) and railways (including major railways).

Documents

Details

Noise action plans provide a framework to manage environmental noise and its effects. They also aim to protect quiet areas in agglomerations (large urban areas) where the noise quality is good.

The Environmental Noise Directive covers noise from roads, rail, aviation and industry. It requires Member States to carry out noise mapping of environmental noise sources every five years. These maps are used to produce noise action plans. The first noise maps were completed in 2007. These were updated in 2012.

The updated action plans take into account the 2012 noise mapping and views from the consultation held in 2013. More details are given in the government response.

Defra has also produced a progress report. This summarises what has been achieved since the first round of action plans were adopted.

Airport operators are responsible for producing their own noise action plans. The revised guidance for airport operators was issued to them last summer to help them prepare their action plans.

Published 30 January 2014