9.5.8 Noise Pollution

Dublin City Council is actively engaged in the strategic management of noise in compliance with requirements under the Environmental Noise Directive. In 2008, noise maps and a Noise Action Plan were produced by Dublin City Council in conjunction with the other Dublin Authorities.

Dublin City Council has adopted a number of new policies to help manage environmental noise exposure throughout the city and has co-operated with the three County Councils of Dublin to produce a combined Noise Action Plan, which covers the period from 2013 to 2018.

Dublin City Council will review and revise, where appropriate, noise maps for all road sound sources within its area at least every five years. The next review is to be carried out in 2017.

Dublin City Council, through the planning system, can minimise the adverse impacts of noise pollution by controlling developments which are noise intensive away from more sensitive areas such as residential areas.

Furthermore, where it is considered that a proposed development is likely to create disturbance due to noise, a condition can be imposed by the planning authority on any planning permission limiting the hours of operation and level of noise generation.

There are DCC lands located within Dublin Airport’s Outer Noise Zone. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), (Dublin Airport) has produced Noise Contour Maps detailing these areas. These contours relate to the protection/prevention of noise sensitive uses within the noise zones.