The Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006

Identification of noise sources

3.—(1) No later than 31st December 2006 the Secretary of State must, in the form of regulations, identify all—

(a) first round agglomerations;

(b) first round major roads;

(c) first round major railways; and

(d) major airports.

(2) No later than 31st December 2011 the Secretary of State must, in the form of regulations, identify all—

(a) agglomerations;

(b) major roads;

(c) major railways; and

(d) major airports.

(3) In any relevant year the Secretary of State must, in the form of regulations, identify—

(a) agglomerations;

(b) major roads;

(c) major railways; or

(d) major airports,

as necessary if he considers that the most recent regulations produced pursuant to paragraph (2) are no longer appropriate.

(4) In paragraph (3) “relevant year” means 2016 and every fifth year thereafter.

(5) When discharging his duty under paragraph (1)(a) to identify first round agglomerations the Secretary of State must identify areas—

(a) having a population in excess of 250,000 persons and a population density equal to or greater than 500 people per km²; and

(b) which he considers to be urbanised.

(6) When discharging his duty under paragraph (2)(a) or (3)(a) to identify agglomerations the Secretary of State must identify areas—

(a) having a population in excess of 100,000 persons and a population density equal to or greater than 500 people per km²; and

(b) which he considers to be urbanised.

(7) When discharging his duty under paragraph (1)(b) to identify first round major roads the Secretary of State must identify roads which—

(a) are—

(i) trunk roads,

(ii) motorways that are not trunk roads, or

(iii) principal or classified roads;

(b) have more than six million vehicle passages a year; and

(c) he considers to be regional, national or international.

(8) When discharging his duty under paragraph (2)(b) or (3)(b) to identify major roads the Secretary of State must identify roads which—

(a) are—

(i) trunk roads,

(ii) motorways that are not trunk roads, or

(iii) principal or classified roads;

(b) have more than three million vehicle passages a year; and

(c) he considers to be regional, national or international.

(9) When discharging his duty under paragraph (1)(c) to identify first round major railways the Secretary of State must identify railways which have more than 60,000 train passages per year.

(10) When discharging his duty under paragraph (2)(c) or (3)(c) to identify major railways the Secretary of State must identify railways which have more than 30,000 train passages per year.

(11) When discharging his duty under paragraph (1)(d), (2)(d) or (3)(d) to identify major airports the Secretary of State must identify civil airports which have more than 50,000 movements per year (a movement being a take-off or a landing), excluding those purely for training purposes on light aircraft.