Local Planning Authorities and professional advisors in the field of new planning and acoustic design, have asked for additional guidance on new changes in the planning system.

The Professional Guidance on Planning and Noise (ProPG: Planning & Noise) will aim to give good practice advise to the likes of Metropolitan Insulation so that we can ensure that we are up to date with the most recent changes in the law and on the ‘application of the land-use planning process to encourage good acoustic design.

This initiative is ran by a steering group of members made up from the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC), Institute of Acoustics (IOA) and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

You can read the full press release from the ProPG: Planning and Noise initiative here.

It is expected that the guidance will be published in early 2015. The concern amongst noise reduction practitioners is that the new policy objectives do not provide technical guidance. This has created confusion for developers and the concern that development may be refused planning consent and that the whole system will be slowed further at a time when new housing is such a high profile concern for the UK economy.