This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Putting noise on the map
06/10/2006
The first maps showing environmental noise around major conurbations and transport networks will be produced for Scotland next year.
At a conference devoted to noise and nuisance today, Deputy Environment Minister Rhona Brankin said:
"Excess noise can cause stress and disruption to everyone - at home, at leisure and at work.
"We have already done a huge amount of work in Scotland to establish domestic noise control legislation, and we've introduced intervention levels for days, evening and night time domestic noise.
"Intrusive noise comes from many different sources and by June next year, we will have carried out a comprehensive assessment to identify potential problem areas in Glasgow and Edinburgh. That will provide the basis for a fresh look at how to minimise noise in our lives."
The EC Environmental Noise Directive requires noise maps to be produced by June 2007.
In Scotland, the maps will be produced for Glasgow and Edinburgh areas, as areas for the first round of mapping have a population over 250,000. All major roads, railways, airports, industry and ports also required to be mapped.
For the second round in 2012, all areas with over 100,000 people will be mapped.
The contract to produce the noise maps has been awarded to the Hamilton and McGregor consortium.
Today's conference at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh was jointly sponsored by the Executive, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), the National Society for Clean Air (Scotland) (NSCA); the Royal Environmental Health Institute (REHIS) and the Building Performance Centre of Napier University.
Issues discussed were policy development in sound insulation, laminate and hardwood flooring, antisocial noise evaluation, odour control and environmental noise mapping.