Borders Coatings, Sand Blasting Facility

Noise Impact Assessment for relocation of Sand Blasting facility

Client: Eldon Housing Association and Scottish Borders Council

Architect: Aitkin Turnbull Architects

Contractor: Cruden Builders

Development Value: £13m

In co-operation with Eldon Housing Association, Cruden Builders, Aitkin Turnbull Architects and Scottish Borders Council, RMP was commissioned to undertake a noise impact assessment for a proposed residential development site adjacent to an existing industrial estate. During the course of our noise measurement survey, it was established there was significant noise impact from an adjacent sandblasting business that had not been identified when the site was allocated for housing at the Local Development Planning stage.

Sand blasting uses high-pressure air and sand (shot/grit) to remove coatings/paint for treatment and reapplication. This activity can generate noise levels in excess of 100dB(A).

The business, Borders Coatings, had no operational restrictions, and assessment, under BS 4142: 2014+A1:2019 ‘Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound’, suggested much of the adjacent site to be unviable for housing.

An appraisal by RMP to upgrade the existing industrial unit accommodating the sand blasting activities was deemed unsuitable, and a relocation proposal, was deemed the only viable option.

RMP then provided a noise impact assessment for relocation of the sand blasting facility within the newly established Whitlaw Industrial Estate in Lauder, including on-going design advice to mitigate the remaining risk via building insulation, ventilation attenuation and site orientation/layout design advice.

Borders Coatings have now successfully relocated, and the residential site comprising 64 houses is in full occupation.