Our people have written and shaped best practice guidance on environmental impact assessment.
Best practice guidance documents include:
British Standard 4142- Rating and Assessment of Commercial and Industrial Noise
The CIEH, ANC and IOA Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise https://www.ioa.org.uk/sites/default/files/14720%20ProPG%20Main%20Document.pdf
Guidelines for Environmental Noise Impact Assessment (2014) IEMA
ANC Guidelines- Measurement and Assessment of Groundborne Noise and Vibration
Chapter on Managing Uncertainty in Noise Assessment processes on the book- Uncertainty in Acoustics (2020) CRC Press.
Our people have also shaped best practice through the projects of national significance including Crossrail, Thameslink, HS2, Heathrow and many others. In particular, we have pioneered approaches which focus on the health and quality of life of people impacted by schemes, using evidence-based approaches, and influenced the move away from exposure-based approaches.
We can undertake all aspects of EIA and HIA including screening, scoping, modelling, monitoring, engagement, consultation and defining assessment criteria.
Our core team are qualified and have professional experience in public health. They also have a strong background in research and review of the scientific evidence on the effects of noise and vibration on health and quality of like. This means that we are well placed to undertake health impact assessments for all types of schemes and projects.
Members of our team have undertaken health impact assessments on schemes of national importance and have significantly influenced best practice in this field.
Our team have led consultation and engagement programmes on numerous schemes of national importance including, but not limited to:
HS2
Crossrail
Thameslink
Hitchin to Cambridge Grade Separated Junction
A14 Huntington to Cambridge Scheme
Heathrow Expansion Scheme
We believe in building trust through truly participative consultation and engagement, where stakeholders are enabled to shape the outcome of schemes and inform key decisions.
We have also pioneered immersive technologies to make noise information accessible to stakeholders and provide and alternative to traditional approaches.
Colin was the first in the industry to promote good acoustic design, which is about good design for acoustics and all other factors affecting human comfort. He was also a key author of the Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise for New Residential Development.
A number of our people are qualified environmental health practitioners. We are uniquely placed to provide holistic design approaches for all aspects of the built environment and enhance the performance of buildings and infrastructure in relation to sustainability, health, and human comfort.
Our people have acted as expert witnesses in numerous planning inquiries and court cases. Major planning inquiries include:
Heathrow Terminal 5
M4 Widening
The Thameslink Programme
The Hitchin Grade Separation Junction
The A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon Improvement Scheme Development Control Order.
Court cases and tribunals include criminal and civil proceedings, negligence claims, acting as a Single Joint Expert, and acting as an Independent Acoustics Expert.
We have a strong background in research and innovation and have published numerous papers and publications on research and innovation.
Research projects include:
The West London Schools Study that was the precursor for the European wide Ranch Study on the effects of aircraft noise on school children
The Defra Vibration Study
Standardised Interview Instrument for Domestic Noise