Noise Abatement Society
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| Noise Abatement Society | |
|---|---|
| Name | Noise Abatement Society |
| Formation | 1959 |
| Type | Charity |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
Noise Abatement Society The Noise Abatement Society is a United Kingdom charity founded in 1959 to address environmental noise issues in urban and rural settings. It engages with public bodies, local authorities, community groups, and industry actors to promote quieter living and soundscape improvements across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The society has interacted with notable figures, institutions, campaigns, and legislation while influencing debates involving transport, planning, and public health.
History
The society was established amid post‑war urban redevelopment debates involving London County Council, Greater London Council, Ministry of Housing and Local Government, Town and Country Planning Act 1947, and civic groups such as the Royal Institute of British Architects and the National Trust. Early engagements connected the society with campaigns around Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, M1 motorway, M25 motorway, and municipal noise abatement programmes run by entities like the Metropolitan Police and local borough councils. Over subsequent decades the society intersected with national legislation including the Control of Pollution Act 1974, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Noise Act 1996, and later frameworks such as the Noise Policy Statement for England and European instruments like the Environmental Noise Directive. Prominent public figures and institutions, including the Mayor of London, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the World Health Organization, and the National Health Service, featured in debates where the society provided evidence and commentary. The society also liaised with transport authorities such as Transport for London, Network Rail, British Airports Authority, and road agencies like Highways England during major projects involving Crossrail, High Speed 2, and airport expansion plans.
Mission and Activities
The society’s mission emphasizes quieter communities, improved planning standards, and public awareness through campaigns, advice, and partnership work with organizations such as Citizens Advice, Which?, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and conservation bodies including English Heritage and Historic England. Activities include advising householders on domestic noise disputes involving landlords, housing associations, and Citizens Advice Bureau referrals as well as engaging with developers, planners, and firms like Balfour Beatty, Laing O'Rourke, and Skanska on mitigation measures. The society contributes to consultations conducted by the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Office of Rail and Road, and local planning authorities, and it partners with public health bodies including Public Health England, UK Health Security Agency, and the World Health Organization on noise‑related health guidance. Outreach includes workshops with universities such as University College London, University of Manchester, Imperial College London, and University of Southampton and collaborations with research centres like the Acoustics Research Centre and professional bodies including the Institute of Acoustics and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
Organizational Structure and Membership
Structured as a membership charity, the society’s governance historically involved trustees, a chief executive, and advisory panels drawing on expertise from academic institutions like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of Glasgow, and technical partners such as RPS Group, AECOM, and Arup. Membership has included local civic societies, parish councils, resident associations, and corporate supporters from sectors represented by trade organisations such as Rail Delivery Group, Airports Council International, and Confederation of British Industry. The society has appointed patrons and presidents from public life including former officials, councillors, and academics associated with bodies like the House of Commons, the House of Lords, and the Royal Society. It regroups into committees addressing transport noise, neighbourhood noise, industrial noise, and nightlife, engaging with stakeholders such as British Broadcasting Corporation, Ofcom, Local Government Association, and National Association of Local Councils.
Campaigns and Advocacy
Campaign work has targeted issues ranging from aviation noise around Heathrow Airport and Manchester Airport to rail noise on corridors used by Network Rail and freight operators like DB Cargo UK and Freightliner. The society has campaigned on road noise linked to schemes on M25 motorway and urban highways, on nightlife sound management with partnerships involving local licensing authorities, and on industrial noise near facilities operated by companies such as Tata Steel and British Steel. Advocacy has included submissions to inquiries hosted by select committees in the House of Commons, collaborations with environmental NGOs like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, and joint work with tenant advocacy groups such as Shelter and Save the Children on housing noise impacts. The society has used campaigns to influence policy debates around Crossrail 2, High Speed 2, airport growth at Gatwick Airport, and urban regeneration projects undertaken by development authorities including the London Legacy Development Corporation.
Research and Publications
The society has produced guidance, briefings, and reports drawing on acoustic research from labs and departments at Imperial College London, University of Sheffield, University of Salford, University of Bath, and international agencies like the World Health Organization. Publications addressed topics including road traffic noise, aircraft noise, rail noise, industrial noise, and neighbourhood soundscapes, and referenced standards from organisations such as the British Standards Institution and scientific outputs appearing in journals like Journal of Sound and Vibration and The Lancet. It has disseminated case studies, technical notes, and policy briefs used by local authorities, planning inspectors, and courts, and has contributed evidence to reviews by the Environment Agency, the Planning Inspectorate, and parliamentary select committees.
Criticism and Controversies
The society has faced critique from industry groups including representatives of Airlines UK, Rail Delivery Group, and road lobbyists over positions perceived to constrain infrastructure development. Critics among some developers, transport planners, and trade bodies argued the society’s campaigns could conflict with economic objectives advocated by organisations such as the Confederation of British Industry and regional development agencies like Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Transport for the North. Debates arose in cases before planning tribunals and inquiries, with contested expert evidence from consultancies including Mott MacDonald and WSP Global and academic disagreement from researchers affiliated with University of Southampton and Brunel University. Controversies also involved tensions with local authorities over nightlife management where businesses represented by bodies like the British Beer and Pub Association and UKHospitality contested proposed noise restrictions.