Vol. 502 No. 4
136 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will increase noise insulation standards in view of his Department's proposal to have higher density housing developments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8541/99]
Part E of the building regulations details the legal requirements to be met in relation to sound insulation between separating walls and separating floors of dwellings – houses and apartments. Part E requires that such floors and walls shall have reasonable resistance to airborne and impact sound. Technical guidance document E, 1997 edition, provides technical guidance on how to comply with these requirements.
The guidelines for planning authorities on residential density which I launched in draft form for public consultation on 2 March 1999 set out policies and standards to guide planning authorities in achieving higher residential densities in appropriate locations. The guidelines stress that the quality of the residential environment should be paramount in considering the acceptability of planning applications for higher density schemes. Therefore, while I currently have no specific proposals to amend Part E of the building regulations, I will take into consideration any observations on this matter received during the public consultation process on the guidelines.
