It’s impossible to miss how quiet it is outside during the COVID-19 lockdown. Vehicles, trains, tube lines, aircraft, fixed plant and people noise have all significantly reduced as the UK Government advice of “Stay Home - Save Lives” is actively enforced.
This has certainly created challenges for our acoustic consultancy team. The team routinely monitor noise levels on prospective development sites to assist Clients with developing appropriate noise mitigation strategies to support their planning applications.
Whilst we are more than happy to rise to the challenge, our ‘armoury’ of noise monitoring equipment is under-utilised at the moment. So, to avoid the devil finding work for these idle hands, our noise team have been putting our equipment to good use and assisting with providing noise monitoring data for “The Quiet Project”.
What is The Quiet Project?
The Quiet Project is a research project promoted by the Institute of Acoustic, Association of Noise Consultants and UK Acoustics Network. It seeks to obtain a database that helps map the change in sound levels across the country. In addition to providing information during the current lockdown, the project will seek to repeat measurements periodically over the next 18 months. This will help to understand how the phasing of the Government’s de-escalation plans may affect noise levels. It is intended that the results of the study may help inform other future scientific studies, for example, future transport solutions and soundscapes, the ecological impact of noise or even helping track the health of the economy.
Our acoustic consultancy team’s contribution to The Quiet Project
Mayer Brown’s noise team has deployed our spare equipment at their homes to help contribute to this unique research initiative.
We’ll provide updates on the project as findings are analysed.
In the meantime, however, being in the middle of “The Quiet Project” need not mean stalling your development aspirations. Our acoustic consultancy team remain happy to assist you supporting your prospective developments. Whilst the scope of the on-site noise survey work we can conduct at the moment may be limited, our highly experienced team are able to assist with alternative approaches to the characterisation of site noise levels and assessment to help maintain the momentum of your development aspirations. Naturally, all work is undertaken in accordance with current Government Covid-19 guidelines!
If you have any particular projects you require assistance with, please contact:
Paul Gray at pgray@mayerbrown.co.uk or call 01483 745412.
