Central Branch Hybrid Meeting

Central Branch Hybrid Evening Meeting

An evening on… Noise, Planning and the new NPPF

Presentations by Chris Turner, Nick Treby and Stephen Turner

Wednesday 30 September 2026, 18:00

In person, Institute of Acoustics, 406 Silbury Blvd, Milton Keynes MK9 2AF and online

The Government published the updated National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England in August 2026, following a period of consultation and significant proposed changes to national planning policy.

Noise remains an important consideration within the new Framework, including the relationship between planning decisions and wider Government noise policy, the application of the Agent of Change principle, and the consideration of noise effects when determining whether development is appropriate for its location.

For this Central Branch meeting, we are pleased to welcome three highly experienced practitioners who will provide their perspectives on the new NPPF and its implications for acousticians, local authorities, developers and others involved in the planning process.

Speakers

Nick Treby is a Director of Spectrum Acoustic Consultants and a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics. Nick has extensive experience of environmental acoustics, planning and the assessment of noise associated with major development.

Chris Turner is Technical Director – Acoustics, Noise & Vibration at Arthian. Chris has extensive experience in environmental noise and planning and has previously served as Chair of the IOA Meetings Committee.

Stephen Turner is an independent acoustics consultant, former President of the Institute of Acoustics and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute. Stephen previously worked as a Government noise-policy adviser at Defra and has been closely involved in the development and interpretation of national noise policy, including the Noise Policy Statement for England and the NPPF.

The presentations will be followed by an opportunity for questions and discussion.

Details

This will be a hybrid meeting, with the opportunity to attend either in person or online via Zoom.

For those attending in person, please arrive from 17:30 for a prompt 18:00 start.

Registration for the event can be made using the CPDTag link below:

https://www.cpdtag.com/app.php?event=8DE342D8A06A114A625352F04799AB5

Following the meeting, those attending in person are invited to continue the conversation over dinner at a local Indian restaurant.