Noise protection

Noise - especially environmental noise - has become an everyday problem in Germany's cities and communities, partly due to the dense population and building development. This is mainly caused by modes of transportation - especially motor vehicles and railroads - as well as by industry, commerce, construction sites and air traffic. In addition, there are all kinds of noise from other human activities such as the operation of garden tools or other sources of noise.

The main effect is that people are initially only disturbed by noise. Noise has an effect on communication, on concentration, but also on people's rest and relaxation. However, as soon as people's rest and relaxation are negatively affected, it is possible to conclude that there are negative effects on their general health in the long term.

If noise affects people and living beings for a long time or at a high volume, it can trigger acute or chronic illnesses.

Noise action plan of the city of Aachen

According to the Environmental Noise Directive of the European Union (EU), local authorities are obliged to carry out noise action planning (LAP) every five years on the basis of noise mapping to protect citizens. The implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive is prescribed by the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) in accordance with §47d. This applies in particular to

• Locations near major roads with traffic volumes of over six million vehicles per year, major railroad lines with traffic volumes of over 60,000 trains per year and major airports

and

• Metropolitan areas with more than 250,000 inhabitants (such as Aachen).

The updated noise map of the city is available here as an image and in the environmental noise portal of the MUNV under Noise Maps NRW(www.umgebungslaerm.nrw.de):

About the noise action plan

Preventive noise protection

Preventive noise protection in the context of immission control deals with issues of environmental noise, which is mainly caused by modes of transport such as road and rail, but is also triggered by aircraft noise.

The aim is to give space to the impact of environmental noise in urban planning and to represent the protection needs of citizens through planning measures (urban land-use planning - development plan procedures, master plans) and in the approval process (building permits, planning). In particular, healthy living conditions are sought here. Noise action planning is intended in particular to reduce the pollution caused by everyday traffic on Aachen's roads in the long term.

Who is responsible for what?

Further information