Carlow County Council Noise Action Plan 2018 – 2023
This Noise Action Plan has been prepared by Carlow County Council to address environmental noise from major roads with more than three million vehicles per annum. The action planning area covers sections of the M9, N80, R724, R448, R430 & R417. It is a follow up to the 2013 Noise Action Plan which addressed environmental noise from roads with more than three million vehicles per annum and the 2008 Noise Action Plan which addressed environmental noise from roads with more than six million vehicles per annum.
The plan has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of EU Directive 2002/49/EC (known as the Environmental Noise Directive, or “END”), which was transposed into Irish Law by the Environmental Noise Regulations 2006, SI No. 140 of 2006. The aim of the Directive and the Regulations is to provide for the implementation of an EC common approach to avoid, prevent or reduce on a prioritised basis the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environmental noise.
Environmental noise is unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, road traffic, rail traffic, air traffic and noise in agglomerations over a specified size. Types of noise not included in the Regulations are noise caused by the exposed person, noise from domestic activities, noise created by neighbours, noise at workplaces or noise due to military activities in military areas.
The objectives of the plan are to develop a sustainable approach to the planning and management of environmental noise within the region of County Carlow and to reduce the overall number of people exposed to high levels of noise. Management of the existing noise environment may be achieved by prioritising areas for which further assessment and possible noise mitigation may be required. Protection of the future noise environment may be achieved by acoustical planning, which further incorporates noise into the planning process via measures such as land-use planning, development planning, sound insulation measures, traffic planning and control of environmental noise sources.