Noise advice for businesses
Business activities can often disturb and disrupt neighbours and the users of the surrounding areas.
Get help for your business to minimise nuisance and environmental impacts related to noise. You should consider environmental impacts as early as possible and ideally at the planning stages.
We will work with you to achieve flexible solutions for contractors, residents and businesses so please do get in touch directly to discuss any of the issues.
Deliveries and servicing: commercial premises
Deliveries, collections and other servicing activities can be disturbing to residents living nearby, if they are noisy and are carried out during unsociable hours. The City of London therefore will seek to restrict such activities where residents are likely to be affected.
Restricted times for deliveries, collections and other servicing activities
Times when servicing activities will normally be restricted to between 7am and 11pm weekdays and Saturdays, with no servicing on Sundays, Bank or Public Holidays.
These restrictions will be imposed where necessary through use of planning conditions, statutory nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or Community Protection provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
However the City of London is supporting the quieter delivery, collection and servicing trials by TfL and will consider quiet delivery schemes where application of time limits are not practicable and they achieve acceptable noise reduction.
Tranquillity in the City
The government's 2012 National Planning Policy Framework, London Plan and the EU Environmental Noise Directive require local authorities to take action on identifying, promoting and protecting areas of tranquillity, or quiet areas.
The City of London Local Plan 2015 requires the protection of the City's quiet areas (policy DM 15) and improvements in the City's environment.
In 2009 the City of London commissioned research into Quiet Zones with funding from Transport for London under the Clear Zone Partnership, as part of the Quiet City Project. The main aim of the Quiet City Project was to investigate the desire and potential for protecting and enhancing relatively quiet areas in the City of London.
Background papers and research by Bureau Veritas, the City of London, and STATS are available on request. Please call 020 7606 3030 or email the Public protection team
Construction
The Pollution Control Team encourage the use of the best environmental options in planning and managing construction and deconstruction (demolition) in the City of London. The City is densely populated by residents, many types of businesses, and other sensitive premises all of which can be affected by your work and associated activities. The construction, demolition and streetworks page aims to provide information that will assist you to plan for and manage site activities. The team will work with you to achieve flexible solutions for contractors, residents and businesses so please do get in touch directly to discuss any of the issues.