6 Noise

6.1 Noise Control

(a) The Contractor shall have a general duty to take all practicable measures to minimise nuisance from noise. The noise limits specified in this section or which may be otherwise agreed with The City of Edinburgh Council shall not be regarded as a licence to make noise up to the stated limit.

(b) Subject to the specific requirements of The City of Edinburgh Council, the following minimum requirements shall be met:

(i) During normal working hours, as defined in Clause 3 (a), the maximum noise levels measured 1 metre from any occupied dwelling or other building used for residential purposes, generated by construction plant and equipment shall not exceed the following limit:
Monday to Saturday (inc.) 0700-1900 hours LAeq 12 hour 75 dB
(ii) Outside normal working hours, the following limits shall apply:
Period Hours Limit

Monday to Saturday (inc.) 1900-2200 LAeq 3 hours 65 dB
Sunday & Bank Holidays 0800-2000 LAeq 12 hours 65 dB

The default noise limit for any night-time (2200 to 0700 hours) construction work shall be LAeq 1 hour 55dB at residential buildings. Higher noise levels may be permitted where ambient noise levels are higher.
(iii) The maximum noise levels measured 1 metre from any school, college or other teaching facility resulting from construction work shall not exceed the following limits:
At any time when occupied LAeq 1 hour 65 dB
(iv) The maximum noise level measured 1 metre from any office building or other building used for office purposes during normal working hours shall be as defined in paragraph (b)(i) of this clause.

(c) In order to ensure that the best practicable means are used to meet the levels set out above, a programme of on-site monitoring by a suitably qualified practitioner shall be agreed between the Contractor, tie and The City of Edinburgh Council. This monitoring programme shall include the location and frequency of readings and will define to whom the results shall be made available. Monitoring will be undertaken at locations identified in the Environmental Statements as those where mitigation measures may be necessary to avoid significant noise disturbance.

(d) In exceptional difficult circumstances essential work causing noise above these limits may be permitted with the prior approval of tie and The City of Edinburgh Council. Application for prior approval must be made at least two weeks in advance of the relevant works commencing, and must be fully justified and kept to the minimum necessary. Conditions may be attached to any permission for such works.

(e) In the event that measurements indicate noise has exceeded the limits in paragraph (b) of this clause the Contractor shall stop the operation in a safe manner and take all practicable measures to prevent recurrence. If this does not enable the limits to be met exceptional permission must be applied for under the terms of paragraph (b) of this clause.

(f) Without prejudice to the other requirements of this Section, the Contractor shall comply with the recommendations set out in BS 5228 'Noise Control on Construction and Open Sites' insofar as these are reasonably practicable and applicable to the construction works and in particular with the following requirements:

(i) All vehicles and mechanical plant used for the purpose of the work shall be fitted with effective exhaust silencers and shall be maintained in good and efficient working order.
(ii) All compressors and generators shall be ‘sound reduced’ models fitted with properly lined and sealed acoustic covers which shall be kept closed whenever the machines are in use, and all pneumatic percussive tools shall be fitted with mufflers or silencers of the type recommended by the manufacturers.
(iii) All machines in intermittent use shall be shut down in the intervening periods between work or throttled down to a minimum. Noise emitting equipment which is required to run continuously shall be housed in a suitable acoustic enclosure (see BS5228 Part 1:1997, Figures B.1, B.2 and B.3 (or later issue)).
(iv) Stationary equipment with significant noise output shall be sited away from sensitive site boundaries as far as is practicable.
(v) Temporary noise barriers shall be used to reduce noise levels where appropriate and practicable. Barriers shall be located as close to the plant as possible, and shall have a mass per unit area of at least 7kg/m2.
(vi) No deliveries shall arrive at the site before 0700 hours.
(vii) The engines of all parked vehicles or vehicles waiting to enter any work area shall be switched off within two minutes of arrival.
(viii) Work compounds shall be laid out so that accesses and loading areas are located as far away from sensitive neighbours as practicably possible and so that temporary structures screen noisy areas where practicable.

(g) Without prejudice to this Section, the Contractor shall comply with the City of Edinburgh Department of Environmental and Consumer Service's document Construction Site Noise: A Guide for Contractors, August 2000 (or current issue, if subsequent amendments issued), and shall liaise with that department in accordance with the requirements therein.