Services · Noise impact assessments
Planning-ready noise impact assessments for homes, conversions, commercial uses, plant and leisure schemes, written for the case officer and Environmental Health.
Whether your scheme is affected by noise or could create it, we measure the existing conditions, assess them against the standards councils use, including BS 8233, ProPG and BS 4142, and set out practical mitigation in one clear report.
MIOA acoustic consultant · Class 1 instrumentation · Fixed-fee quotes · Site visits typically within 3–5 working days
At a glance
Standards
BS 8233, ProPG, BS 4142, BS 5228
Typical survey
24 hours to 7 days
Deliverable
Planning-ready report
Used for
Applications, conditions, appeals
1 report
Every noise source and receptor in one assessment
BS 8233
For noise affecting new homes
BS 4142
For plant and commercial sound affecting neighbours
24–48 h
Typical reply to a quote request
The standards used depend on the scheme. We confirm exactly which apply before you instruct us.
When you need one
Councils ask for a noise impact assessment when noise could affect the people who will use a development, or when a development could affect its neighbours. These are the most common triggers.
New homes, flats, schools and offices near roads, railways, airports or commercial noise.
Conversions to flats, Class MA prior approval, and new uses such as cafés, gyms or bars beside homes.
New plant, extract, workshops, leisure venues and padel courts, where neighbours must be protected.
Pre-commencement and pre-occupation noise conditions, Environmental Health comments and planning appeals.
Already received a planning condition or an Environmental Health request for a noise assessment?
Send us the detailsWhat's included
A good noise impact assessment answers the questions the case officer and Environmental Health will ask, in the order they ask them, with the evidence to back each answer.
We confirm the scope with you before the survey, and with the council where that helps, so the report is right first time.
Report guide
What Does a Noise Impact Assessment Report Include?
Read the guide →
Scope and policy
The site, proposal, nearest neighbours and the policy and standards that apply.
Output: agreed assessment scope
Noise survey
Unattended or attended measurements with Class 1 instrumentation at representative positions and times.
Output: calibrated survey data
Prediction and modelling
Calculations or a 3D noise model to predict levels at each façade, garden or neighbour.
Output: predicted noise levels
Assessment
Results compared with the relevant criteria, whether BS 8233 internal levels, BS 4142 rating levels or council limits.
Output: clear impact conclusions
Mitigation
Glazing, ventilation, screening, layout, plant selection or management measures, with the performance each needs.
Output: mitigation specification
Planning-ready report
A concise report the case officer can follow, with suggested condition wording where useful.
Output: report for submission
Specialist services
Most noise impact assessments draw on one or more of these specialist services, combined into a single report for your application.
Day and night noise surveys that set glazing, ventilation and garden design for new homes near roads, railways and industry.
Environmental noise surveys →
Air conditioning, heat pumps, extract and condensers assessed against background sound at the nearest homes.
Plant noise assessments →
Construction noise and vibration predictions, Section 61 applications and on-site noise monitoring.
Construction noise monitoring →
ProPG and BS 8233 assessments for new homes, conversions and Class MA prior approval, including overheating.
Residential noise consultants →
How it works
A clear, fixed-fee process built around your planning programme. You always know what is being assessed, why, and when your report will be ready.
01
Share the site address, drawings and any planning condition or EHO comments. We confirm the right assessment and send a fixed-fee quote.
02
We measure the existing noise climate with Class 1 instrumentation, including night-time and unattended monitoring where the assessment calls for it.
03
Results are assessed against BS 8233, ProPG, BS 4142 or BS 5228 as relevant, with clear, practical mitigation set out for your design team.
04
We respond to questions from planning officers and Environmental Health, and help you discharge noise-related planning conditions.
What we assess
Each assessment is designed around the sources that matter at your site, measured and assessed with the method the council expects.
Main roads and junctions affecting new homes, assessed with BS 8233 and ProPG.
Railways, trams and flight paths, including individual night-time events.
Air conditioning, heat pumps, extract and refrigeration, assessed with BS 4142.
Bars, cafés, gyms, padel courts and venues, including music and patron noise.
Workshops, industrial estates and distribution yards, including night-time operations.
Demolition, piling and build programmes, assessed with BS 5228.
Policy and guidance
Every report is framed around the policy the case officer will apply, whether that's the NPPF in England or the Welsh and Scottish equivalents, plus the standards Environmental Health expect.
Planning policy
NPPF and PPG Noise
Planning Policy Wales and TAN 11
NPF4 and PAN 1/2011
Local requirements
Council Local Plans
Noise SPDs and guidance
Agent of Change
Planning conditions
Standards and guidance
BS 8233:2014
ProPG: Planning and Noise
BS 4142:2014+A1:2019
BS 5228
Approved Document O
Where we work
We prepare noise impact assessments for developers, architects, planning consultants, businesses and homeowners throughout the UK.
Across England
Planning noise work for councils from Cornwall to Cumbria, run from our Southampton base.
London · South East · South West · East of England · Midlands · North West · North East · Yorkshire
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Guernsey
Assessments framed around each nation's own planning policy and Environmental Health expectations.
Cardiff · Newport · Swansea · Glasgow · Edinburgh · Dundee · Aberdeen · Belfast · Guernsey
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions we are asked most about noise impact assessments for planning.
It is a technical report that assesses how noise will affect a proposed development, or how a development will affect its neighbours, and what mitigation is needed. Councils use it to decide whether a scheme is acceptable in noise terms and what conditions to attach.
Usually when new homes or other noise-sensitive uses are proposed near noise sources, or when a new use, plant or activity could disturb neighbours. Many councils list it on their validation checklist, and Environmental Health may ask for one during the application.
Most do, because councils want evidence of existing conditions. Some simple cases, such as a single heat pump or a desktop review of an existing report, may be possible without a full survey. We will tell you which applies when you send the details.
It depends on the scheme. BS 8233 and ProPG are used for noise affecting new homes, BS 4142 for plant and commercial sound, BS 5228 for construction, and other guidance for music, sport and leisure noise.
Simple noise assessments can start from around £750, and a planning noise survey and report for a small-to-medium project commonly costs £1,000–£2,500+. The fee depends on how long monitoring needs to run, the number of measurement positions and what the council requires. We always provide a fixed-fee quote. Our guide to noise assessment costs explains the main price factors.
The site address, a description of the proposal, site and floor plans, and any comments from the council or Environmental Health. Plant schedules or operating hours help for commercial schemes.
Typical measures include upgraded glazing and ventilation, careful layout, acoustic fencing or screening, quieter plant selections, enclosures and silencers, and management measures such as operating hours.
BS 8233 gives guidance on acceptable noise levels inside and around homes and other buildings. Together with ProPG, it is used to design glazing, ventilation and outdoor amenity areas for new residential development. BS 4142 assesses the impact of industrial and commercial sound, such as plant and machinery, on nearby residents by comparing it with the existing background sound level.
A planning noise report sets out the site and proposal, the relevant policy and standards, the survey methodology and equipment, the measured results, the assessment against the applicable criteria and any mitigation needed, such as glazing, ventilation, barriers or plant attenuation. See what a noise impact assessment report includes for a full breakdown.
Noise impact assessments
Send us the site address, drawings and any comments from the council or Environmental Health. We'll confirm exactly which assessment you need and send a fixed-fee quote, aiming to reply within 24–48 hours.
MIOA acoustic consultant · Class 1 instrumentation · Fixed fees · UK-wide
