Explanatory note

These Regulations, which apply in relation to Wales, are made pursuant to the duty in regulation 3(1) of the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2629 (W.225)) to identify the noise sources that must be mapped pursuant to the first paragraph of Article 7 of Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 June 2002 relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise (O.J. No. L 189, 18.07.2002, p. 12).

The noise sources to be identified are agglomerations, major roads, major railways and major airports. Regulation 3 of the 2006 Regulations specifies criteria which the Welsh Ministers must apply when making identifications in relation to Wales.

The criterion to be applied to major airports is that the airport is a civil airport which has more than 50,000 movements per year (a movement being a take-off or landing), excluding those purely for training purposes on light aircraft. The Welsh Ministers have determined that no airport in Wales meets this criterion: therefore no identification of a major airport is made in these Regulations.

The identifications are made by reference to maps: these have been deposited at the offices of the Welsh Assembly Government at Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ where they may be inspected during office hours. The maps are also available at the following web address: http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/environmentcountryside/epq

A regulatory impact assessment has not been carried out in relation to these Regulations. However, a regulatory impact assessment of the effect that the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 will have on the costs of business and the voluntary sector is available for inspection at the offices of the Welsh Assembly Government at the address stated above.