Roads and Transportation

Notice of Public Consultation on Draft Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2024-2028

ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE REGULATIONS, 2018
(S.I. No. 549 of 2018, as amended)

Notice of Public Consultation on Draft Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2024-2028

Submissions are invited from the public on the draft Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2024-2028, prepared under S.I. No. 549 of 2018 (as amended), to address environmental noise in the Agglomeration of Cork (as defined in the above regulations), and prepared jointly by Cork City Council, and Cork County Council.

This is a four-year strategic plan with the main purpose to inform and consult on the health effects of noise exposure from road, rail and major industrial sources and the measures that may be considered to address this issue in the Agglomeration of Cork (as defined in the above regulations). The plan excludes noise from domestic activities, noise created by neighbours, noise at workplaces or noise inside a means of transport or due to military activities in military areas.

The DRAFT Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2024 – 2028 will be available for public inspection from 9a.m. Wednesday 01st May 2024 for a period of 2.5 weeks until 5p.m. Friday 17th May 2024 at the following locations:

electronically via the Cork County Council Online Consultation Portal at NAP@corkrdo.ie
at the Foyer in County Hall between 9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday

Submissions on the DRAFT Noise Action Plan may be made either;

electronically via the Cork City Council Online Consultation Portal at NAP@corkrdo.ie
or in writing to the Cork National Roads Office, Cork County Council, Richmond, Glanmire, Cork, T45 WA44.

Any submissions must be made before 5pm on Friday the 17th May 2024.

All comments, including names and addresses of those making submissions and observations, submitted to Cork County Council regarding this review, may form part of a report presented at the monthly meeting of Cork County Council. Accordingly, they will be included in the minutes of that meeting and may appear in the public domain.

Cork County Council will retain data for no longer than is necessary and in accordance with the Council’s Data Protection Policy and Privacy Statement (available to view on www.corkcoco.ie) and relevant Data Protection legislation.

Dated this 01st day of May 2024.
Sean Callery
Senior Engineer

Cork Agglomeration DRAFT Noise Action Plan 2024 – 2028

What We Are Doing

The Local Authorities of the Cork Agglomeration (Cork City Council and Cork County Council) are preparing a Noise Action Plan to cover the whole of the Cork agglomeration. The Noise Action Plan has been informed by and is based on the Strategic Noise Maps which were modelled in 2022 and published for the agglomeration of Cork in 2023 and which cover transport (road and rail) and industry related environmental noise sources.

Why We Are Doing It

The Noise Action Plan is required under the Environmental Noise Directive (“END”) (2002/49/EC) which was transported into Irish law through the European Communities (Environmental Noise) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 549/2018) and the European Communities (Environmental Noise) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 663/2021). The Regulations require Strategic Noise Maps and Noise Action Plans to be made or revised every five years.

When We Are Doing It

This Noise Action Plan covers Round 4 of the implementations of the END. The final Noise Action Plan must be completed and issued to the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) by the 18th July 2024 and subsequently issued by the EPA to the EU Commission by the end of January 2025.

Requirements of Noise Action Plan

The Environmental Noise Directive (END) requires local authorities to draw-up plans of action which will include measures to 'address priorities which may be identified by the exceeding of any relevant limit value or by other criteria chosen by the Member State and apply in particular to the most important areas as established by strategic noise mapping'. It also requires Plans to identify and protect “quiet areas against an increase in noise”.

Why Your Views Matter

There will be a period of formal public consultation from 9a.m. Wednesday 01st May 2024 to 5p.m. Friday 17th May 2024 and members of the public are welcome to submit their views on this draft Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan. If you have particular comments on the Plan we would welcome your views. Submissions may be made by one of the following methods;

electronically via the Cork City Council Online Consultation Portal at NAP@corkrdo.ie
or in writing to the Cork National Roads Office, Cork County Council, Richmond, Glanmire, Cork, T45 WA44.

Reader Note

This Noise Action Plan covers the whole of the Cork Agglomeration which includes the complete or partial administrative area of the two Local Authorities mentioned above. Readers are therefore referred to the following structure of the Noise Action Plan to help direct them to the relevant section(s) that may be applicable to their area and interest.