1. Introduction
The aim of this guidance is to provide guidance to stakeholders in determining whether or not an identified Candidate Noise Management Area ( CNMA) should progress to Noise Management Area ( NMA) status or whether the declaration of a NMA would not be appropriate in the circumstances.
In so far as is reasonably practical every effort has been made to ensure that the published noise contours are accurate. Where the current guidance reveals that the CNMA status is inaccurate either as a result of erroneous data or where local topography and design have reduced the number of people affected then the area will not be progressed to a NMA.
During implementation of the Action Plan, a review process should be applied to each CNMA to determine whether or not it should become a Noise Management Area ( NMA). Prior to any CNMA being progressed to a NMA status it is necessary to subject the CNMA to detailed scrutiny. To assist in this process the Scottish Government have provided a tool in the form of a layered Acrobat Portable Document Format ( PDF) files to enable each of the stakeholders to view the attribute data used in the production of the strategic noise maps. There is a separate series of layered PDF files available for each of the following: the Glasgow agglomeration (one set each for road and rail), the Edinburgh agglomeration (one set each for road and rail), the major roads outwith the agglomerations and the major railways outwith the agglomerations.
It should be appreciated that an area defined on a map as being a CNMA does not define an absolute area for CNMA to NMA consideration. Instead the designated coverage of a CNMA is simply indicative of the likely area that should be considered as being a CNMA. It may be that following further analysis that the area will need to be extended or, perhaps decreased. Remember, CNMAs simply prioritise areas where people are most likely to be annoyed by either road or railway generated noise.
If, on the basis of the technical assessment outlined in this guidance, the conclusion is that a CNMA should become a NMA, there should thereafter be a consultation process before formal adoption of the NMA. The consultation process is in line with the duty to consult in regulation 18 of the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006 as the proposal to make an area a NMA from a CNMA would be a revision to the action plan, within which CNMAs and NMAs are listed. If the NMA is based on Local Authority ( LA) managed roads, the relevant LAs should carry out the consultation, while for Transport Scotland trunk road and rail NMAs, the consultation should be carried out by Transport Scotland.
Given the requirement to consult it is recommended that that a group of NMAs be consulted upon at the one time. Once any consultations are complete the relevant LAs or Transport Scotland should then approach the Scottish Government seeking approval of the proposed NMAs, which would then adopt them, as changes to the action plan under regulation 22 of the 2006 Regulations. A similar process should be followed where it is proposed that a CNMA need not, based on the technical assessment, become a NMA.
Finally, it is the intention of the Scottish Government to produce further guidance on mitigation measures for consideration during the noise management process.