Acoustics firms to noise map Northern Ireland

Four leading acoustics firms to noise map Northern Ireland for to meet the EU's Environmental Noise Directive.

The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment has appointed a consortium of four firms to provide noise maps to deal with road, rail, aircraft and industrial noise across the whole region.

The team is led by iSoniq and includes independent acoustics consultant Hepworth Acoustics, leading Irish environmental firm AWN Consulting and Bureau Veritas.

The completed project will fulfil Northern Ireland's requirements for noise maps to meet the EU's Environmental Noise Directive.

"This is an exciting project because its outcome is fulfilment of the first stage of the EU Environmental Noise Directive for the whole of Northern Ireland," says Simon Shilton of iSoniq.

"That is a major achievement and we are very pleased to have pulled together a successful team, working with partners we know and trust".

The project will produce noise maps focused on the urban conurbation of Belfast and other major noise sources.

The maps will include major roads, the airports - Belfast International Airport and George Best Belfast City Airport, major railways and industrial sites.

The project's phases are data gathering, site surveys, followed by the noise calculations, production of the final noise maps and preparation of the analysis for submission to the EU Commission.

Delivery is scheduled for June 2007.

Because of the large scale of the project, which is valued at around half a million pounds, tenders were invited under the OJEC procurement process.

The iSoniq-led consortium won the contract in competition with eight other tenders.

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