23. No later than 31 October 2007 the Department shall publish guidance setting out limit values or other criteria for the identification of priorities for action plans.
24.—(1) Any action plan drawn up or revised under this Part shall—
(a)meet the objectives and requirements in Schedule 4;
(b)be designed to manage noise issues and effects, including noise reduction if necessary;
(c)aim to protect quiet areas in agglomerations against an increase in noise;
(d)address priorities which shall be identified by having regard to guidance published pursuant to regulation 23; and
(e)apply in particular to the most important areas as established by strategic noise maps approved or adopted pursuant to regulation 46.
(2) Paragraph (3) applies to—
(a)any action plan; and
(b)any revision of an action plan;
drawn up under this Part for an agglomeration.
(3) An action plan and any revision of an action plan shall be based upon and apply in particular to the most important areas as established by—
(a)all strategic noise maps that—
(i)are made or revised pursuant to regulation 8, 11, 14, 17 or 19 and approved or adopted pursuant to regulation 46; and
(ii)concern any part of the area addressed by the action plan; and
(b)a consolidated noise map compiled pursuant to regulation 22 to the extent that it concerns any part of the area addressed by the action plan.