Written question WQ84730

The Noise and Soundscape Action Plan (NSAP) is the Welsh Government’s central noise policy document. It covers all major forms of noise across Wales. It also discharges our obligations under the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 to produce 5-year noise action plans for major roads, major railways and large urban areas. One of the Welsh Government’s commitments under the 2018-2023 NSAP is to carry out a review of it, incorporating a full public consultation, no more than 5 years after its adoption, i.e. by December 2023. In accordance with the 2006 Regulations, actions under the new NSAP relating to transportation noise must apply in particular to the most important areas established by the latest strategic noise maps adopted under those Regulations. Elements of the NSAP falling outside the scope of the Regulations will be informed by a wide range of other evidence, including the noise questions contained in the National Survey for Wales.

The 2006 Regulations require new noise maps to be produced by computer prediction for major roads, major railways and large urban areas in 2022. These maps should represent the situation in the previous calendar year. Work has begun, using a new noise modelling system, which is generating the 2022 noise maps for both England and Wales. For the first time, they will include all roads and railways, rather than just those specified by the Regulations. This is a new approach to noise mapping, using a new EU calculation method. For efficiency, our timescales for the delivery of this work are tied to those of England. Nevertheless, our aim is to publish the new noise maps by the end of this calendar year. This is in line with the date we would have been expected to report them to the European Commission, had we still been a member of the European Union.