The Environmental Health Service is a statutory consultee on planning applications. Planning Officers will consult Health & Community Wellbeing where there are potential environmental protection matters relevant to an application.

Why?

By reviewing and making recommendations on planning applications, potential problems can be identified, prevented or managed with effective planning conditions. This makes sure that:

• existing homes, facilities, businesses or other development are not unacceptably affected by new development; and
• new development is not unacceptably affected by existing development, facilities or businesses.

When potential problems are identified, the applicant has the opportunity to look at how these can be dealt with to prevent problems during construction or afterwards.

Scope

Health & Community Wellbeing will normally restrict comments to environmental protection and public health matters. These include:

• existing noise affecting the development;
• noise associated with the construction;
• noise from the development affecting other noise sensitive properties; and
• noise associated with the operation of the development such as from deliveries or other vehicles using or serving the site;
• air quality;
• Contaminated land;
• dust (usually only during construction);
• lighting, if it has the potential to cause nuisance to neighbours;
• odour (smell);
• vibration (usually only during construction, but may include on-site plant); and
• waste management facilities (leading to odour nuisance)

Where other legislation, licenses or permits may apply to a proposal, this will usually be highlighted.

ProPG: Planning and Noise

The scope of this ProPG is restricted to the consideration of new residential development that will be exposed predominantly to airborne noise from transport sources (noting that good professional practice should have regard to any reasonably foreseeable changes in existing and / or new sources of noise. The document has not been adopted formally by government but it is a very helpful technical guide which forms a basis for good design for potential new housing near to transport networks. It is envisaged that following the guidance contained in this document will increase the likelihood of success of planning applications for new residential development, yet it also provides a clear basis for recommending refusal of new housing development on noise grounds where necessary.

Communications

All communication on these matters are carried out internally with Planning Officers, unless direct contact with outside parties is agreed with the Planning Case Officer. This ensures that the Planning case officer is fully aware of any communications with the applicant, their agent or other parties. Environmental Health will not accept or respond to any objections or complaints in relation to planning decisions. These should be made to the Planning case officer.

Useful Links:

Derry City & Strabane District Council Planning website: 

Planning guidance from statutory consultees for developers
https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/planning-guidance-statutory-consultees-developers

Noise Policy Statement for Northern Ireland 2014
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/doe/noise-policy-statement-ni.PDF

ProPG: Planning & Noise – New Residential Development
https://www.ioa.org.uk/publications/propg

Institute for Air Quality Management
https://iaqm.co.uk/guidance/

Contact Details
For further information contact Environment and Neighbourhoods Team on 02871 253253