Cork County Council has prepared a Noise Action Plan for Major Roads in the County. This Noise Action Plan has been prepared in accordance with EU directive 2002/49/EC commonly referred to as the ‘END’ Directive and S.I. 140 of 2006 commonly referred to as the Environmental Noise Regulations.
The purpose of the Action Plan is to act as a means of managing environmental noise, and to meet the aim of the directive of preventing, and reducing where necessary, environmental noise through the adoption of the action plan.
Strategic noise mapping produced in the mapping stage is one of the key inputs into the Noise Action Planning stage. Noise maps produced will identify and prioritise cluster areas, which will require further assessment and may require mitigation measures to be put in place.
The proposed onset levels for assessment of noise mitigation for major roads in the Cork County area are as follows70 dB Lden; and 57dB, Lnight
These levels are consistent and comparable with other Local Authorities who had adopted the EPA recommended onset levels. These levels provide for a concentration of efforts on those areas at the higher noise levels.
The results of the noise mapping indicate that less than 1% of the Cork population in the Cork County Noise Action Planning area are being exposed to noise levels due to major road traffic sources above the proposed onset levels for assessment of noise mitigation of 70dB Lden.
A high priority list of areas needing further examination has been developed based upon the noise mapping and decision matrix results. Cork County Council intends to investigate the high priority areas and where appropriate implement noise reducing mitigation measures, subject to budgetary constraints. Protection of a low noise environment will be facilitated through a combination of policy and planning in a sustainable manner.
This document will provide a basis for actions for the Noise Action Planning Authority over a five year period from 2018, with the intention to reducing and protecting the existing and future noise environment from Major Road noise.
