Expertise
Commercial
Industrial and commercial warehouse developments often bring competing pressures: maximised capacity vs noise mitigation. Ian knows this tension well, having worked on many sites of this type across a wide range of projects.
The goal is always to find solutions that are both technically robust and genuinely workable - helping developers get the most out of a site without creating noise impacts that will cause problems at the planning stage or beyond.
Deliveries and retail
Retail noise assessment is a well-trodden part of our work - from major new foodstore developments and their associated plant, deliveries and car parks, through to modest applications for extended trading hours at smaller premises. Ian has worked with some of the UK's best-known supermarket and home delivery operators on both new sites and existing operations.
New housing
Housing developments often need careful noise modelling to demonstrate that a site is suitable for residential use, maximising the area that can be used without compromising amenity. Our strength in 3D computational modelling makes us well placed for this work, building accurate representations of the noise environment around a site to inform layout, design and mitigation.
Entertainment noise
Entertainment noise sits at a busy intersection of planning, licensing, and noise nuisance law, and the range of stakeholders can make the advisory role particularly demanding. We have worked with some of the UK's most prominent clubs and live music venues, as well as local authorities and community groups.
Vibration
We undertake vibration surveys and provide clear advice, whether you are preparing a planning application or already affected by vibration from a neighbouring site.
Planning authorities increasingly expect a ground vibration assessment to be submitted alongside the noise assessment. This is especially true for residential applications adjacent to railway lines; mine and quarry developments where blasting will be carried out; and construction projects involving impact piling or other vibration-generating operations.
We identify what an application needs to demonstrate to secure approval, carry out the measurements and monitoring, and set out any mitigation the design requires.
Noise modelling
Noise modelling has become central to most noise assessments and is increasingly relied upon in the noise industry. Ian brings extensive expertise in this area, including advanced proficiency in SoundPLAN noise modelling software. Using noise models requires a thorough, first-principles understanding of the underlying acoustic calculations, from sound propagation and attenuation to the assumptions and limitations inherent in any modelling approach. Ian's ability to undertake these calculations by hand is fundamental to this expertise, ensuring that every model produced is rigorously validated and its results properly understood, rather than treated as a "black box" output.