Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006 - proposed amendment: partial business and regulatory impact assessment

Section 3: Costs, impacts and benefits

Quantified costs to businesses

The Scottish Government’s initial assessment is that only a few stakeholders would be affected by the two options being considered, namely Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Airports. As such, these options would have a narrow scope as to the business affected. All noise action plans are based on the published information from the strategic noise maps for Scotland. The costs of producing the noise mapping and action plans for Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow airports are borne by each airport operator.

• Option 1 would not create any difference to the current five year requirement, where the competent authorities would be required to undertake the data gathering, consultation and review requirements to generate and publish noise action plans.
• Option 2 is not expected to increase costs to businesses or any other stakeholder groups. Rather it would reduce the administrative costs from Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Airports associated with the data gathering, consultation and review requirements to generate and publish noise action plans for the three airports. Specifically, this would result in this expenditure being incurred every ten years, not the current five year cycle.

Benefits to business

The Scottish Government produces the agglomerations noise action plan; Transport Scotland produces the transport noise action plan; Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Airports produce their own airport noise action plans. All noise action plans are based on the published information from the strategic noise maps for Scotland.

• Option 1 would not create any difference to the current publication five year requirement, where the competent authorities would be required to undertake the data gathering, consultation and review requirements to generate and publish noise action plans.
• Option 2 would reduce the administrative costs from Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh Airports associated with the data gathering, consultation and review requirements to generate and publish noise action plans for the three airports. Specifically, this would result in this expenditure being incurred every ten years, not the current five year cycle.

With both options noise actions plans will continue to be in place, supporting noise considerations.

Small business impacts

There are not expected to be any direct, or indirect, costs or benefits to small businesses.

Consumer Duty

The 2006 Regulations aims to avoid, prevent or reduce on a prioritised basis the harmful effects, including annoyance, due to exposure to environmental noise. The two options being considered will not have an impact on consumers. Any mitigation measures deployed would be identified by the local authorities or airport operators and would be part of their maintenance and capital procurement plans.