✓ Granted
Leisure
Location
High Street, Musselburgh, East Lothian
Planning authority
East Lothian Council
Application
26/00295/P
Decision
Granted, August 2026
Development
Former shop to snooker, pool and indoor bowls centre with bar
Standards
BS 4142:2014+A1:2019, NR curves, BS 8233:2014
When Environmental Health comes back with detailed questions, an application can stall for months. This project shows how a focused, point-by-point revision got a complex leisure scheme over the line.
The Scheme
A former High Street shop was proposed as a leisure venue with snooker, pool, two bowling lanes, darts and an ancillary bar, beside existing flats.
The Noise Issue
After reviewing an earlier assessment, East Lothian Council Environmental Health set specific requirements: a cumulative plant rating level of no more than 45 dB at the nearest flats, plus internal low-frequency limits, and detailed consideration of bowling impacts and patron activity.
What We Did
01
Re-measured background sound and adopted the council's required daytime background level of 40 dB LA90.
02
Assessed the kitchen extract and other plant against the 45 dB rating limit.
03
Calculated sound transmission through the separating walls to the neighbouring flats, including a +5 dB allowance for site variability and flanking.
04
Checked the result against NR15 in every octave band and set out operational, design and commissioning controls.
The Result
36 dB
Predicted plant rating level
45 dB
Council limit, met with 9 dB to spare
NR15
Met in every octave band
Planning Outcome
The revised report answered each Environmental Health point. East Lothian Council granted planning permission in August 2026 (26/00295/P).
Related services and guides
Noise impact assessments for planning →
Decision details are taken from the council's public planning register and can be checked by searching the application reference on the council's planning portal. Client and site details are kept confidential.
