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Noise surveys and planning assessments
Murray Acoustics provides noise impact assessments, BS 4142 reports and planning noise surveys for residential, commercial and mixed-use developments across the UK. Whether you need a pre-planning noise survey to discharge a validation requirement, a BS 8233 internal noise assessment for a residential scheme, or a BS 4142 assessment of a plant noise source such as an air source heat pump, kitchen extract or chiller, we'll turn a quote around in under an hour and deliver your report within five working days of the site survey. Based in Manchester and working nationwide, we're a direct, experienced consultancy, the engineer who quotes your job is the engineer who carries out the survey and writes the report.
FAQ
Most local authorities request a noise survey when a proposed development is either noise-sensitive (housing, schools, care homes, hotels) and located near an existing noise source, or when the development itself introduces a new noise source such as plant, extract, hospitality or industry. If your validation checklist or a planning officer mentions BS 4142, BS 8233, NPPF paragraph 191, ProPG or "noise impact assessment", you almost certainly need one.
A straightforward residential planning noise survey typically falls between £950 and £1,750 plus VAT. BS 4142 plant assessments for ASHPs, chillers or kitchen extracts usually sit in a similar range. Larger or multi-source schemes are priced per project. Use the form above and you'll have a fixed quote back the same day.
BS 4142:2014+A1:2019 is the British Standard for assessing industrial and commercial sound, typically plant such as air source heat pumps, chillers, kitchen extracts, generators and refrigeration, against the background noise level at nearby residential receptors. We measure background levels on site, model the plant contribution, apply character corrections, and compare the rating level against guidance to give planners a clear pass, fail or mitigation pathway.
BS 8233:2014 is the standard used to assess internal noise levels inside new residential developments. It sets target levels for living rooms, bedrooms and external amenity areas. We use it alongside BS 4142 and ProPG to demonstrate that a scheme will provide acceptable internal conditions, including any glazing or ventilation specifications needed to meet the targets.
A typical baseline survey for a planning application involves a single site visit with an unattended noise logger left in place for 24 hours minimum (often longer for variable environments) . From instruction to final report we usually deliver inside two weeks, and rush turnarounds are possible when programmes demand it.
Often, yes. Permitted development rights for ASHPs are conditional on meeting MCS 020 noise limits at the nearest neighbour, and full planning applications almost always require a BS 4142 assessment. We assess single units and large multi-unit installations on commercial and residential schemes.
A noise survey is the measurement exercise, capturing baseline noise levels on site. A noise impact assessment is the full report that uses those measurements (plus modelling and standards like BS 4142, BS 8233 or BS 5228) to assess the effect of a proposed development on people or the environment. Most planning conditions require the assessment, not just the raw survey data.
Yes. We're based in Manchester but routinely work across England, Wales and Scotland. We have colleagues across the country and can service any area of the UK.
BS 4142, BS 8233, BS 7445, BS 5228, ProPG: Planning & Noise, NPPF, Approved Document E, Approved Document O, MCS 020, WHO Community Noise Guidelines, and the relevant BREEAM Pol 05 / Hea 05 and WELL acoustic credits.
The site address or postcode, a brief description of the development, and ideally any planning officer correspondence or validation checklist mentioning noise. That's usually enough for a same-day fixed price.
"We were up against a planning deadline and most people couldn't even quote in time. Murray Acoustics turned it around inside a week."
Let's talk about your project.
Quick quote or complex scheme, we always get back to you the same day.
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