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London-related
findings from UK-wide environmental noise studies
BRE used data from the National Noise Incidence Study (NIS) and National
Noise Attitude Survey (NAS) to carry out a separate analysis of London
related information. This analysis is being used to help develop noise
policy in London. |
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Data were collected in seven
outer London boroughs. A total of 140 noise measurements, each of
24 hours duration, were made outside dwellings in London as part of
NIS, and approximately 350 interviews were carried out in London as
part of NAS.
As well as analysing the data from Greater London, the findings were
compared with the national pictures of noise levels and attitudes.
In the case of the NIS, comparisons were also made between 1990 and
2000 within Greater London. The findings have been used by the Greater
London Authority to inform the development of The
Mayor's Draft London Ambient Noise Strategy.
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Key findings
Noise Incidence Study
• Noise levels in Greater London were significantly higher than
the average for England and Wales.
• The drop in noise levels in the evening occurs later in Greater
London than the average for England and Wales.
• The rise in noise levels in the morning occurs at the same
time in Greater London as the England and Wales average.
• Noise levels increased slightly in Greater London between 1990
and 2000.
• There are fewer sites with extremely low noise levels in Greater
London than in England and Wales.
Noise Attitude Survey
• Within Greater London, the most commonly heard categories of
environmental noise were: road traffic (heard by 93% of respondents);
neighbours and/or other people nearby (88%); aircraft/airports/airfields
(71%); and building, construction, demolition, renovation or road
works (63%).
• Both road traffic noise and noise from building, construction,
demolition, renovation or road works were heard by a significantly
higher proportion of respondents in Greater London than over the UK
as a whole.
• 24% of respondents in Greater London reported that noise spoilt
their home life to some extent, with 10% reporting that their home
life was spoilt either quite a lot or totally.
• When categories of environmental noise are ranked according
to the proportion of respondents reporting being moderately, very
or extremely bothered, annoyed or disturbed, the order is seen to
be different within Greater London than nationally. In Greater London,
after road traffic noise and noise from neighbours and/or other people
nearby, the next highest is noise from building, construction, demolition,
renovation or road works, followed by noise from aircraft/airports/airfields.
Over the UK as a whole, the rankings of the last two categories are
reversed.
This analysis could potentially be extended to make it more representative
of Greater London by the addition of further measurements and/or interviews
in other London boroughs. If these were carried out in a compatible
way (e.g. using the same sampling strategy, measurement instrumentation
and questionnaires), new data could be merged or compared with that
from the existing studies.
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Further information on the
NIS and NAS can be found here.
Information about noise mapping in London can be found here.
For more information, contact Colin Grimwood on 01923-664300, e-mail
environment@bre.co.uk.
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