Welcome to the dBx Acoustics jargon buster! In this section, we list some common acoustic terms as well as standards and guidance you may be asked to comply with. If there’s something you need to know that we haven’t covered here, please let us know.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Noise Policy Statement for England (NPSE) together set out guidance on the suitability of planning conditions, and the planning intent for noise including environmental noise, neighbour noise, and neighbourhood noise.
The policy aims to avoid significant impacts on health and quality of life, and where possible contribute to the improvement of health and quality of life. The NPSE provides some context, describing ‘effect levels’ at which noise may lead to changes in behaviour. This ‘noise exposure hierarchy’ can be used to assess the potential impact of noise and whether further steps to control it are required.