Now that the main political parties have published their manifestos, we’ve had a look at them to identify areas where there are potential implications for sound, noise and acoustics. While there are no overt references to noise policies, a number of areas of policy focus could impact on noise issues and the work of acousticians. These include housing, onshore windfarm development and possible changes to the planning system.
Housing
The housing shortage is a prominent challenge and all parties set out how they will address this. The IOA advocates that housing design must provide homes which allow residents a good acoustic environment. The Conservatives pledge to fast track brownfield development in 20 cities, and raise urban density to equate to that found in Paris and Barcelona, using ‘strong design codes’ to protect housing quality. Labour pledge to update the National Planning Policy Framework with a brownfield first policy to fast track ‘high quality homes’. For Lib Dems the focus is on neighbourhood planning. Green MPs will push Ministers to ensure all social housing stock is brought up to and kept at a decent standard, with fair funding to get this done.
Planning and infrastructure
The IOA are working to ensure acoustic issues are fully considered during the planning process. Both Conservatives and Labour propose to accelerate the planning process. Conservatives want to speed up average time to sign off national infrastructure (like transport and energy infrastructure) from four years to one – through measures including reforms to “outdated EU red tape”, focussing the role of statutory consultees and “ending frivolous legal challenges”, and regularly updating National Policy Statements. Labour plan a ten year infrastructure strategy with a National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority being set up to oversee road, railway and reservoir development, updating national policy and with new National Policy Statements to make major projects faster and cheaper. The Green Party pledge to reform planning to enable expansion of renewable energy. Plaid Cymru pledge to give more say on planning to local people.
Energy
Energy generation and use often has the potential for acoustic impacts which need to be considered in locating, designing and installation. The Conservatives pledge to ‘ensure democratic consent on onshore wind’, while Labour pledge to double onshore wind capacity by 2030 and promote local power generation. The Green Party also promise to increase the capacity of onshore wind. The Lib Dems promise to roll out free heat pumps for those on low incomes, and the Green Party pledge to fund local authority led roll out of low carbon heating systems like heat pumps.
Transport is a source of environmental noise impacting health and quality of life in urban and rural areas
Road
The Conservatives are pledging £8.3 billion for repairs and resurfacing roads, and will require local consent for Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and 20mph zones. Labour plan to reform planning to ‘forge ahead with new roads’. The Greens plan to reimagine residential streets with reduced traffic, in contrast Reform pledge to ban low traffic neighbourhoods, and remove any incentives for electric vehicles.
Aviation
The Conservatives support domestic flights and the growth of aviation. Labour promise to support aviation through airspace modernisation. The Lib Dems pledge to ban short domestic flights unless alternatively fuelled and pause airport expansion until a capacity and emissions plan is in place. They also oppose the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted or London City Airports and any new airport in the Thames Estuary. The Green Party pledge to ban short domestic flights and halt expansion of airport capacity.
Neighbourhood noise
Noise in neighbourhoods that affects people at home is a source of numerous complaints to local authorities. The Conservatives pledge to ensure councils have the power” to manage the uncontrolled growth of holiday lets, which cause nuisance’. The conflict between housing development and noise from existing cultural/entertainment premises is common - the Green Party promise to “Protect the night-time economy through a review of planning regulations and giving local authorities the powers to ensure there is space for cultural life”.
International regulation
Acousticians in the UK currently work to a number of regulations, guidelines and standards that have been set by the EU or internationally. The Reform party pledge to scrap all EU Regulation with immediate effect and cancel our membership of the World Health Organisation (who support science based guidelines on noise and health) unless its structure and funding are reformed. In contrast the Scottish National Party who present their vision for “an independent Scotland in the EU” and Plaid Cymru “believe that the UK should re-enter the European Single Market and Customs Union at the earliest opportunity” And that “believe that Wales would be best served by re-joining the European Union at an appropriate point in time”.
Links to full manifestos below:
Green-Party-2024-General-Election-Manifesto-Long-version-with-cover.pdf (greenparty.org.uk)
Change Labour Party Manifesto 2024
Reform_UK_Our_Contract_with_You.pdf (nationbuilder.com)
2024-06-20b-SNP-General-Election-Manifesto-2024_interactive.pdf
