Noise

Transport noise arrives from many sources including vehicles, aircraft, and trains, and managing this requires working together across a wide range of organisations, legislation, and policies.

We are committed to the actions in our Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) 2019 to 2023. Our overall aim is twofold. Firstly, we will ensure noise management is incorporated into all we do, and secondly, we will manage noise levels where necessary at Noise Management Areas (NMAs), and we will aim to preserve noise quality where it is good.

We manage transport noise, and the impact on health, using the Source, Pathway, Receptor, Consequence model, and our transport related actions are informed by the National Transport Strategy, and the related Delivery Plans.

On managing noise at Source, examples include our commitment to making our public transport system available, affordable, and accessible for all, our initiatives to help provide free and affordable bikes to people who need them, and our Implementation Guide for 20-mph Speed Limits in Scotland. At pathway level we are trialling a series of noise barriers at priority locations defined by the TNAP 2019 to 2023, and we will report on these as part of developing the TNAP 2024 to 2028.

At all levels we recognise the need to work collaboratively with a wide range of partners to manage noise, and create better places, and we are working with key organisations to seek cross policy opportunities for this. 

The Traffic Scotland Green hub provides useful information on making sustainable journeys, including the reduction of noise. For car based journeys this could include consideration of the tyre noise rating when replacing tyres, choosing a zero emission vehicle, and efficient driving.

Some of the following documents provide background to our approach to managing noise. 

CNOSSOS, includes details of the latest noise assessment methodology.

Environmental Noise Directive is the main EU law to identify and address noise pollution levels.

The Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006 describes the legislative requirements of the Scottish Government in relation to the Environmental Noise Directive 

Scotland's Noise, includes details of the latest mapping and noise action plans. 

The SEWEB website brings together environmental information and data, including noise.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region provide recommendations for protecting human health from exposure to environmental noise originating from various sources.