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Consultation on proposals for transposition and implementation of Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise

Dear Sir or Madam,

Consultation on proposals for transposition and implementation of Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise (The Environmental Noise Directive (END))

I enclose a copy of a Consultation paper entitled Consultation on proposals for transposition and implementation of Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise issued by the Scottish Executive.

Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise is often referred to as the Environmental Noise Directive (END). The END was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, on 25 June 2002, and must be transposed into law by the Member States of the European Union.

The END will be implemented separately in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This consultation document is solely concerned with the transposition of the END in Scotland. This consultation exercise focuses on what we propose to include in the implementing regulations in order to meet all the obligations of the END. Separate consultations will be carried out in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The aim of the END (the text of which can be found at Annex A of the Consultation paper) is to define a common approach across the European Union with the intention of avoiding, preventing or reducing on a prioritised basis the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environmental noise. This will involve:

• informing the public about environmental noise and its effects;
• the preparation of strategic noise maps for: large urban areas (referred to as 'agglomerations' in the END and in this document), major roads, major railways and major airports as defined in the END; and
• preparing action plans based on the results of the noise mapping exercise. Such plans will aim to manage and reduce environmental noise where necessary, and preserve environmental noise quality where it is good.

The noise mapping and action planning process is to be taken forward on a five-yearly rolling programme. The first round of mapping and action planning applies to the largest of the agglomerations (including the industries and ports within them), the busiest major roads and railways and all major airports. Maps must be produced by 30 June 2007, with the action plans following a year later in 2008. During the second round (2012-13) and in subsequent rounds, all agglomerations, major roads, major railways and major airports as defined by the END will be mapped and then action plans will be developed for them.

This paper seeks comments on proposals to:

• Designate the competent authorities and bodies responsible for implementing the END (Article 4). However, Member States remain ultimately responsible for ensuring that the requirements of END are met (Article 14). The competent authorities will be responsible for aspects such as making and, where relevant, approving noise maps and action plans for agglomerations, major roads, major railways and major airports; delimiting quiet areas within agglomerations and open countryside and collecting noise maps and action plans;
• Set out the process by which the noise maps and action plans will be produced (including public consultation for the action plans);
• Set out the process by which the completed noise maps and action plans will be made available to the public.

Responding to this consultation paper

We are inviting written responses to this consultation paper by 12:00 noon Wednesday 1 June 2005. The invitation to comment extends to every part of the proposals, and comments are welcomed on any aspect. However, to assist the Department’s analysis of responses, consultees are asked to use the response form provided. Please send your responses to:

noise@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

or:
Linda Story
Scottish Executive
Environment Group
Air Noise Noise and Nuisance Team
1-G Dockside
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

This consultation, and all other Scottish Executive consultation exercises, can be viewed online at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations. You can telephone Free phone 0800 77 1234 to find out where your nearest public internet access point is.

The views and suggestions detailed in consultation responses are analysed and used as part of the decision making process.

Access to consultation responses

We will make all responses available to the public in the Scottish Executive Library and on the Scottish Executive website by 30 June 2005. All responses not marked confidential will be checked for any potentially defamatory material before being logged in the library or placed on the website. A respondee information form which will help ensure we handle your response appropriately is attached to the response form.

Yours faithfully

David W Wallace
Air Noise and Nuisance Team
Air Climate and Engineering Division

List of Principal Organisations Consulted

AA Scotland
Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen Airport
Aberdeenshire Council
Action of Churches Together in Scotland
Age Concern Scotland
Angus Council
Argyll and Bute Council
Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland
Association of Port Health Authorities
BAA Scottish Airports
Board of Social Responsibility
British Aerospace Defence Systems
British Ports Association
British Standard Institution
Catholic Parliamentary Office
Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland
Church of Scotland Offices
City of Edinburgh Council
Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Chief Executive)
Clackmannanshire Council
Confederation of British Industry (Scotland)
Confederation of Passenger Transport (Scotland)
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Defra
Department of the Environment Northern Ireland
Dumfries and Galloway Council
Dundee Airport
Dundee City Council
East Ayrshire Council
East Dunbartonshire Council
East Lothian Council
East Renfrewshire Council
Edinburgh Airport Ltd
Evangelical Alliance (Scotland) (Parliamentary Officer)
Falkirk Council
Fife Council
Forest Industries Development Council (Chairman)
Forestry and Timber Association (Scottish Chairman)
Forum of Private Business
Freight Transport Association
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Glasgow Airport Ltd
Glasgow City Council
Headquarters Air Member for Logistics (Chief Executive and Safety Officer, RAF)
Highland Council
Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd Highland and Islands Enterprise
Historic Burghs Association of Scotland
Independent (MSP, Jean Turner)
Independent (MSP, Margo MacDonald)
Independent (MSP, Dennis Canavan)
Institute of Civil Engineers
Inverclyde Council
IOM (Director or Risk and Medical Services)
Midlothian Council
Ministry of Defence – DSEF
Moray Council
Napier University (UK Noise Association)
NFU Scotland
Noise Abatement Society
Noise Management
Noise Network
North Ayrshire Council
North Lanarkshire Council
NSCA (Scotland)
Orkney Islands Council
Pedestrians Association for Road Safety, Edinburgh
Perth and Kinross Council
RAC Scotland
Rail Freight Group
Railtrack Scotland
Rail Users Consultative Committee for Scotland
Ramblers Association
Renfrewshire Council
Road Haulage Association Ltd
Royal Environmental Health Institute for Scotland
Royal National Institute for Deaf People
Royal National Institute for the Blind
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Scottish Director)
Royal Society of Chemistry
SACRO
Scotrail
Scottish Borders Council
Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Scottish Civic Forum
Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Scottish Clyde Campaign Network
Scottish Engineering
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Environment LINK
Scottish Federation of Small Businesses
Scottish Green Party
Scottish Inter Faith Council
Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Landowners Federation
Scottish Liberal Democrats
Scottish National Party
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Trades Union Congress
Scottish Wildlife Trust
SEPA
Shetland Islands Council
SNV Consultants
South Ayrshire Council
South Lanarkshire Council
Sportsscotland
Stagecoach Holdings PLC
St Columbas Episcopal Church
Stirling Council
Strathclyde Passenger Transport
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland
The Chartered Institute of Transport
The Chartered Institute of Water and Environment
The City of Edinburgh Council
The Highland Council
The Moray Council
The Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland
The Scottish Civic Trust
The WS Society
Transport And General Workers Union
Welsh Assembly
West Dunbartonshire Council
West Lothian Council
Western Isles Council
WWF Scotland

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