Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Act 2024

PART 2 E+W SOUNDSCAPES

National soundscapes strategy E+W

25 National strategy on soundscapes E+W

(1) The Welsh Ministers must prepare and publish a strategy containing their policies with respect to the assessmen‍t, management and design of soundscapes in Wales.

(2) The strategy must include policies for assessing and‍ effectively managing noise pollution.

(3) The Welsh Ministers must keep their policies with respect to soundscapes under review.

(4) The Welsh Ministers may modify the strategy from time to time.

(5) The Welsh Ministers must review the strategy and, if appropriate, modify it—

(a) within 5 years of the publication of the strategy, and

(b) within each period of 5 years beginning with the day on which the Welsh Ministers completed their most recent review under this subsection.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must, in preparing or reviewing the strategy—

(a) have regard to—

(i) scientific knowledge relevant to soundscapes, and

(ii) the most recent strategic noise maps adopted under regulation 23 of the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I 2006/2629);

(b) consult—

(i) the Natural Resources Body for Wales,

(ii) every local authority in Wales,

(iii) every Local Health Board established under section 11 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006 (c. 42),

(iv) every National Health Service trust established under section 18 of the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006,

(v) every public services board (within the meaning of Part 4 of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw 2)),

(vi) the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales‍,

(vii) Transport for Wales, and

(viii) the public.

(7) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend this section for the purpose of changing the period within which they must review the strategy.

(8) If the Welsh Ministers publish a strategy that meets the requirements of subsections (1) and (2) before this section comes into force, that strategy is to be treated as the strategy prepared and published under subsection (1) (and subsection (6) does not apply to the preparation of the strategy).

(9) In this section and section 26, “local authority” means a county council or county borough council.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 25 in force at 14.4.2024, see s. 30(2)(h)

26 Duty to have regard to national strategy on soundscapes E+W

(1) The following persons must have regard to the policies in the strategy published under section 25 when exercising any function of a public nature that could affect soundscapes in Wales—

(a) local authorities in Wales;

(b) relevant Welsh public authorities.

(2) In this section, “relevant Welsh public authority” means a person designated in accordance with subsection (3) as a relevant Welsh public authority.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations designate a person as a relevant Welsh public authority if (and only if) that person is a “devolved Welsh authority” within the meaning of section 157A(1)(a) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).

(4) Before making regulations under subsection (3), the Welsh Ministers must consult—

(a) the person that is proposed to be designated, and

(b) such other persons as the Welsh Ministers consider appropriate.

Commencement Information

I2 S. 26 in force at 14.4.2024, see s. 30(2)(h)

Strategic noise maps and noise action plans E+W

27 Power to change cycles for making strategic noise maps and reviewing noise action plans E+W

(1) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend regulation 7 of the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2629) (duty of the Welsh Ministers to make, review and revise strategic noise maps) to change the intervals for the time being specified by paragraph (2) of that regulation as the intervals at which strategic noise maps must be made and adopted.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend regulation 17 of the Environmental Noise (Wales) Regulations 2006 (duty of the Welsh Ministers to draw up, review and revise action plans) to change the period for the time being specified by paragraph (3)(b) of that regulation as the period within which reviews of an action plan must be carried out.

Commencement Information

I3 S. 27 in force at 14.4.2024, see s. 30(2)(i)