The Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise (ProPG) was published by the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC), the Institute of Acoustics (IoA) and the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) in 2017.
It defines a good acoustic design process which, if followed, will provide certainty and confidence to everybody involved in the planning, design and consenting of new residential development. It encourages design outcomes that respond to the particular circumstances found at each site and are proportionate to the level of noise exposure across the site. The guidance recommends that development should be refused if the design does not prevent unacceptable adverse effects or a good acoustic design process is not followed.
Good acoustic design is not simply about achieving good acoustic conditions. Rather it is the optimisation of acoustic conditions alongside other factors affecting security, safety, health, well-being, comfort, and environmental sustainability. And of course, development must be economically sustainable as well.
Good acoustic design must be demonstrated through the production of an Acoustic Design Statement that describes the design process and why the proposed design represents an optimal and sustainable solution for the site.
Total design is at the heart of everything we do, and our teams of specialists are able to consider all aspects of the built environment affecting human health, comfort and the environment. Our acoustics team are well placed therefore to work closely with our other specialist teams to produce integrated and coherent Acoustic Design Statements and other planning documents that demonstrate good acoustic design.
The new guidance can be downloaded here.
Posted on July 7th, 2017