Digital boundaries of Candidate Quiet Areas were created as part of the Round 4 strategic noise mapping analysis commissioned by Scottish Ministers to meet the requirements of the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006, as amended by the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018. Candidate Quiet Areas support the development of noise action plans which aim to preserve noise quality where it is good, and protect quiet areas in agglomerations against an increase in noise.Candidate Quiet Areas are a provisional assignment of Quiet Areas, which are areas where environmental noise levels are deemed to be good and therefore worthy of protection, especially in the context of new development. Candidate Quiet Areas are identified as:public parks and gardens with an area greater than 9 hectares (as rounded to the nearest 1 hectare) and considered to have a higher potential for significant community benefit through designation as a Quiet Area; andcurrently have low levels of environmental noise as indicated by the strategic noise mapping (Absolute Quiet Areas) -OR- have levels of environmental noise which are low in comparison to the levels experienced by those living nearby (Relatively Quiet Areas).Candidate Quiet Areas were identified by first using the OS Open Greenspace product to identify parks and gardens with an area greater than 9 hectares, then evaluated angaist the results of the strategic noise mapping analysis to identify Absolute and Relatively Quiet Areas.Local Authorities will evaluate the identified Candidate Quiet Areas during the implementation of the associated Noise Action Plan to inform an understanding of the benefit of delimiting as a Quiet Area.
