The IOA welcomes the draft Welsh planning guidance that brings together noise, soundscape and air quality as a forward thinking and progressive piece of policy. Following two consultation meetings of members, the consensus is that the guidance is making a positive first step to introducing a soundscape approach to planning. This approach responds to the call from the United Nations Environment Programme, in their 2022 Frontier report, for policy makers to implement measures that will address the long-term physical and mental health effects of noise pollution. In addition, in combining consideration of the environmental stressors of air pollution and noise pollution, the government in Wales is moving towards encouraging a more sustainable approach to development.
The document, Technical Advice Note 11: Air Quality, Noise and Soundscape (TAN 11), takes a first step towards changing the approach to environmental noise management. It invites a focus on placemaking in addition to traditional approaches to noise management, and encourages thinking about the quality of the soundscape and potential interventions to improve it.
While this approach is promising, the IOA would like to see a final guidance note that is clear, and offers sufficient encouragement to developers and local authorities to make sure these progressive approaches are implemented in practice.
Draft TAN 11: https://www.gov.wales/revised-planning-guidance-relation-air-quality-noise-and-soundscape
UNEP: Frontiers 2022 Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches (unep.org)
Full IOA response: https://www.ioa.org.uk/sites/default/files/ioa_wales_response_tan11_noise-and-soundscape_20-1-23.pdf
