Noise Consultants' Site Suitability Indicator (SSI) has been developed with the aim of informing the decision making process of noise practitioners, developers and Local Planning Authorities considering the suitability of a site in England for new residential development from a noise perspective. The SSI does not cover the whole of England, only locations in the vicinity of road and rail sources included within strategic noise mapping under the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations.

The scope of the SSI is:

• Provide information to inform an understanding of a site's acoustic environment;
• Assist in the identification of relatively noisier sites; and
• Present noise information that can complement an understanding of a site's acoustic environment and act as an early indicator of its potential suitability for new residential development from a noise perspective.

The SSI has been developed using Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) strategic noise mapping data, produced during 2017 as part of Defra's Round 3 strategic noise mapping requirements under the Environmental Noise Directive (END) (Directive 2002/49/EC).

The criteria to determine whether the acoustic environment at a site has the potential to pose a negligible, low, medium or high risk of adverse effects from noise at a new residential development is based upon guidance presented within Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise (ProPG, 2017).

Noise Consultants' 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 primarily intended for use by practitioners with a suitable understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the information provided. Information on assumptions relating to the noise data can be found within Defra's strategic noise mapping report (Defra, 2019). Information on the basis of the criteria, and its intended use in informing an understanding of a site's suitability for new residential development from a noise perspective are presented within ProPG (2017). Notable assumptions include, but are not limited to:

• The site is in the vicinity of road and rail sources included within strategic noise mapping under the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations;
• Strategic noise maps provide an assessment of noise levels for an annual average day, based upon calculation modelling techniques;
• The site's acoustic environment is predominantly exposed to either road or railway noise;
• The site's acoustic environment does not have significant contributions from other noise sources, or combined contributions including road or railways noise;
• The initial noise risk assessment is being conducted by a suitably competent practitioner;
• Consideration has been given to any specific features with an acoustic effect across the site (e.g. retained buildings, changes in ground level), that may not be suitably accounted for in strategic noise mapping, and / or may not be retained by the development; and
• Consideration has been given as to whether the indicated noise levels are suitably representative of a "typical worst case" 24 hour day either now or in the foreseeable future for the site.

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 organizations 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, unauthorized 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 unauthorized 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 to you continues to be protected by copyright. You are free to use it for your own purposes, including for private study and non-commercial research, and for any other purpose authorised by an exception in current copyright law. Documents (except photographs or logos) can be also used in the UK without requiring permission for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.

The SSI contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.