The Site Suitability Indicator (SSI), developed by Noise Consultants Limited (part of the Logika Group), is designed to inform the decision-making process for noise practitioners, developers, and Local Planning Authorities. It assesses the potential suitability of sites across Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) for new residential development from an acoustic perspective.

The SSI utilises publicly available strategic noise mapping data produced under the requirements of the Environmental Noise (England, Scotland, and Wales) Regulations for Round 4, representative of the 2021 assessment year.

The scope of the SSI is to:

• Provide high-level information to inform the understanding of a site's acoustic environment;
• Assist in the identification of relatively noisier sites at the feasibility stage; and
• Act as an early indicator of potential suitability for residential development, complementing a formal site-specific noise assessment.

Data Sources: The strategic noise maps include all road and railway sources

Risk Criteria: The criteria used to categorise the acoustic environment as Negligible, Low, Medium, or High Risk are based on the guidance presented in the Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise (ProPG, 2017). While the primary scope of ProPG references its application in England, its principles are widely recognised as representing industry best practice and have been applied here to Scotland and Wales to provide a consistent risk-based framework across Great Britain.

SSI, and the data therein, is not intended to replace or provide an authoritative interpretation of Government policy or industry guidance. The application and interpretation of the data is at the risk of the user.

The SSI is intended for use by practitioners who understand the capabilities and limitations of strategic-level noise data. Notable assumptions and limitations include:

• Assessment Year (2021): Users should note that Round 4 data is representative of 2021. Consideration should be given to whether traffic and transport patterns in 2021 (affected by global pandemic restrictions) are representative of "typical" or future conditions for the specific site.
• Source Scope: The SSI covers specific road and railway sources included in the national strategic noise mapping. It does not account for industrial/commercial sources, airport noise, or other sources of noise not captured by the scope of the Regulations.
• Modelling Techniques: Strategic noise maps provide an assessment of noise levels for an annual average day based on theoretical calculation modelling; they are not a substitute for on-site monitoring.
• Site Features: The data does not account for micro-scale acoustic effects, such as small changes in ground level, local shielding from non-mapped buildings, or specific site boundary treatments.
• ProPG Stage 1 Only: This tool provides an Initial Site Noise Risk Assessment (ProPG Stage 1). It does not constitute a full Acoustic Design Statement (Stage 2).

The materials on this website are provided on an "as is" basis, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. Noise Consultants Limited (NCL) specifically does not make any warranties or representations as to the appropriateness, quality, timeliness, accuracy or completeness of the materials.

While NCL cannot make any warranties that there are no errors on the website, it does endeavour, where appropriate, to correct errors that are drawn to its attention.

The use of the website is at a user's sole risk. By using the website, the user agrees to defend, indemnify and hold harmless NCL, its employees, information providers and content providers from and against any losses, damages, expenses (including legal fees and costs), claims, suits and liabilities to the extent arising out of or resulting from the use of the websites.

Neither NCL nor any of its employees, information providers or content providers accept any responsibility whatsoever for the appropriateness, quality, accuracy, timeliness and completeness of the materials.

Neither NCL nor any of its employees, information providers or content providers shall be liable to any user or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error, omission, interruption, timeliness, incompleteness, deletion, defect, failure of performance, computer virus, communication line failure, alteration or use of any content published on the website, regardless of cause, or for any damages resulting therefrom.

If a user is dissatisfied with any material on the website or with any of the terms and conditions governing the website, a user's sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using the website.

Boundaries and Geographic Names

The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names, and related data shown on maps and included in lists, tables, documents, and databases on the website are not warranted to be error free nor do they imply judgment on the legal status of any territory, or any endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries by NCL.

Advice, Opinions, and Statements

The website may contain advice, opinions, and statements of various information and content providers. NCL does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information provided by any information provider or content provider, any user of the website or any other person or entity. Reliance upon any such opinion, advice, statement, or other information shall be at a user's own risk.

Other Websites

NCL does not necessarily support policies and beliefs of organisations and individuals listed or referred to in materials held on the website.

NCL does not provide any warranties and specifically disclaims any liability whatsoever in connection with third party websites or links. NCL provides linked sites only as a convenience and the inclusion of a link or reference does not imply the endorsement of the linked site by NCL.

Other Users

A user specifically acknowledges and agrees that NCL is not liable for any conduct of any user.

Bugs, Virus, Malicious Code, etc.

While NCL makes every effort to ensure the materials available on the website are free of any software virus, it cannot guarantee that the materials are free from any or all software viruses. NCL is not responsible for any loss or damage caused by software and related codes, including viruses and worms.

Security Measures

The websites implement a series of technologies and security measures, such as encryption and/or authentication tools, in order to safeguard the information maintained on NCL's systems from misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, alteration, or loss.

Although NCL applies reasonable means to ensure that the information you furnish is not used by third parties for purposes other than that for which it was provided, NCL cannot guarantee that unauthorised third parties will never be able to defeat security measures or use information for improper purposes. You should be aware that no transmission of information via the internet is ever totally secure. Transmission is therefore at your own risk.

Electronic Messages

NCL attempts to respond to electronic messages sent to e-mail addresses listed on the website. However, NCL is under no obligation whatsoever to respond to any or all such messages.

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Contact

If you have any questions or concerns about these terms and conditions please contact us at contact@noiseconsultants.co.uk.

Notification of changes

NCL reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time, without notice.

The information supplied is protected by copyright. The SSI contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The SSI has been developed by Noise Consultants Limited (NCL), part of the Logika Group. Logika Group comprises NCL, Air Quality Consultants and Logika Consultants, specialising in providing high quality environmental solutions.