Preface

Summary

Noise is not a topic which, thus far, has commanded the attention of environmentalists in a way that more emotive issues, such as climate change, have done. However, it is beyond dispute that noise has the capacity to have a negative impact on human health and, indeed, the natural environment, as a whole. Noise emanates from a variety of sources and human activities, ranging from heavy industry to traffic noise, noise from recreational activities, noise in the workplace and also to neighbourhood noise. This state of affairs has required Parliament, over the years, to deal with the corresponding impact of noise on society in different ways, by passing a mosaic of legislation that has required balancing the rights of the noise maker with that of the recipient of the noise.

At the time of writing, the UK has left the EU, which had been active in certain areas, including addressing noise from transport, environmental assessment and noise mapping. It will be interesting to observe how noise law and policy will develop in the absence of the EU.

Environment is a devolved function in the UK and, therefore, under the control of the relevant national legislatures and governments. However, the substantive law (for example, the law relating to common law nuisance, statutory nuisance, environmental assessment and planning), which is discussed in this book, does not differ significantly over the four jurisdictions. The book concentrates on noise law as it relates to England, Scotland and Wales. The authors have refrained from discussing the law relating to Northern Ireland, since it is considered that this merits separate treatment.

The book is intended to provide practitioners and students with an introduction to the scientific background to noise, as well as a comprehensive and detailed account of the substantive law relating to the control of noise. Noise and Noise Law includes an account of common law nuisance, statutory nuisance, neighbourhood noise, noise and human rights, transport noise, noise mapping, town and country planning and noise in the workplace.

Francis McManus wrote the legal chapters, namely chs 1 and 4–11, inclusive. Andy McKenzie wrote the technical and scientific chapters, namely, chs 2 and 3.