Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on research into the health impacts of noise arising from building sites; what statutory provisions are in place to set a maximum noise level; and whether existing provisions take into account the proximity of existing homes.

The Control of Pollution Act 1974 enables local authorities to serve a notice imposing requirements on construction or demolition works, including the hours during which the works may be carried out. Generally, local authorities require construction work to be carried out between the hours of 8am and 6pm on Monday-Friday, and 8am-1pm on Saturdays, with no working on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

We do not consider it appropriate to specify permitted hours for construction works in national law. Local authorities are the main enforcers of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and decisions around managing noise are best taken by them using their knowledge of the specific context.

The Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) outlines that noise needs to be considered when development may create additional noise, or would be sensitive to the prevailing acoustic environment. The PPG details how noise, including during construction, should be considered during both plan making and decision making. The National Planning Policy Framework also states that planning policies and decisions should mitigate and reduce to a minimum potential adverse impacts resulting from noise from new development – and avoid noise giving rise to significant adverse impacts on health and the quality of life.

Defra has convened the Interdepartmental Group for Costs and Benefits (Noise subject group) to review the available evidence relating to the health effects from environmental noise exposure. This includes construction noise, and the group has published two reviews on this subject which are available at:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32357581/ and

https://icl-ref-dryad.maxarchiveservices.co.uk/index.php/j-arup-2020-review-of-evidence-relating-to-environmental-noise-exposure-and-specific-health-outcomes-in-the-context-of-the-interdepartmental-group-on-costs-and-benefits-pdf

It is not possible to have a single objective noise-based measure which would apply to all situations without giving rise to unintended consequences. This is because effect levels are likely to be different for different noise sources, different people and at different times. We therefore consider it best to allow local authorities some flexibility to make decisions using their specific knowledge of the local context.