Noise action planning

Stage 3

The city of Wolfsburg must update the noise action plan for road noise every five years in accordance with the "Directive on the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise 2002/49/EC" (EU Environmental Noise Directive, ULR). It is based on the latest noise mapping data from the state of Lower Saxony from April 2018.

Public participation by citizens took place from March 1 to 31, 2019 and the noise action plan was adopted by Wolfsburg City Council on July 3, 2019.

The results of the action plan are published on the City of Wolfsburg's website. The noise maps or action plans do not create a legal entitlement to noise protection measures.

The noise action plan and the noise mapping can be viewed here:

Stage 4

The update of the 4th stage noise action plan for 2024 has begun with the noise mapping of the state of Lower Saxony.

Public participation is to take place from 13.11.2023 - 13.12.2023.

The 4th update of the city of Wolfsburg's noise action plan is currently underway. The purpose of noise action planning is to determine the impact of road noise on residents and to develop measures to reduce noise pollution. There are two phases of public participation. In the first and current phase, the focus is on general information on noise pollution for citizens.

We would like to ask you to comment on the following questions:

• Which roads in the city of Wolfsburg are too noisy for you?
• What ideas and suggestions do you have for noise protection measures? (This refers to specific proposals for measures and the location where they should be implemented)
• How do you rate the implementation of the noise protection strategies of the city of Wolfsburg?

In addition to the issue of noise protection measures and exposure to environmental noise, areas should also be protected from the increase in noise that serve to recover from noise pollution. For this reason, quiet areas are to be designated in the long term as part of noise action planning. These are areas that are less affected by noise and therefore have a high recreational function for citizens.

The following question arises for public participation:

• Which areas in Wolfsburg do you consider to be quiet recreational areas?

You can submit your answers to the above questions from 13.11.2023 - 13.12.2023 as follows

• Online at: wolfsburg.de/noise-protection
• by e-mail to immissionsschutz@stadt.wolfsburg.de
• in person at the town hall B room 433
• by post to the following address: City of Wolfsburg, Lower Immission Control Authority, Porschestraße 49, 38440 Wolfsburg

Your comments on noise hotspots and your suggestions for noise protection measures will be included in the noise action plan in the form of a table and checked for feasibility as part of the planning process.

In the second phase of public participation, which will take place in 2024, the updated noise action plan will be published and you will be able to comment on the plan.

If you have any questions, please send an email to immissionsschutz@stadt.wolfsburg.de or call 49 5361 28-2075.

Any feedback will contribute to a basis for a targeted noise protection strategy and is therefore very welcome.

The state of Lower Saxony is responsible for noise mapping. These noise maps serve the affected municipalities as a basis for noise action planning.

The 34th BImSchV (Noise Mapping Ordinance) specifies the procedure for how noise maps are to be drawn up and forwarded to the EU. At the same time, the ordinance requires that noise maps be disseminated in comprehensible presentation and easily accessible formats for the purpose of informing the public. For this reason, the state of Lower Saxony makes noise maps available to the public and municipalities via the Internet. It is thus possible to create maps (section, information level, and so on) and then download or print them as a document. An online help supports the use of the map server. The noise maps for the 3rd stage according to the EU Environmental Noise Directive have been published in April 2018.

Background

A noise action plan is an environmental planning instrument with the aim of drawing up an up-to-date inventory of noise pollution with the participation of the public and on the basis of environmental noise mapping, thus helping to reduce environmental noise pollution in the long term. A noise action plan thus provides a source of information for citizens and a planning basis for cities, municipalities and other decision-makers.
Until 2015, noise action planning for railroads was carried out by the authorities responsible under state law. On January 1, 2015, responsibility for noise action planning on the main federal railroad lines was transferred to the EBA.
Since 2018, the Federal Railway Authority has been carrying out nationwide noise action planning on the main federal railroad lines every five years in accordance with the relevant legal requirements and is also involved in the noise action planning of the conurbations.

Further procedure

On November 20, 2023, the Federal Railway Authority publishes the draft of the Noise Action Plan for Federal Railways and the second phase of public participation in Round 4 begins.
Citizens can participate via the participation platform at www.laermaktionsplanung-schiene.de