Mountain Bike Venue Test Event Noise Assessment London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Abstract

This article reports the results of the noise monitoring during the London 2012 Mountain Biking Test Event which was held at Hadleigh Farm. The noise monitoring was held during the Mountain Bike Test Event for two purposes: Firstly as part of the requirements of Environmental Management Plan for the Test Event to ensure that no noise disturbance was being caused and the noise levels were below the agreed criterion of 65 dB(A) at the noise sensitive receptors during the Test Event and secondly to check whether any additional mitigation measures need to be adopted for the main Olympic Event. The noise monitoring results indicate that the L-Aeq noise levels at the selected two noise sensitive receptors were below the 65 dB(A) criterion. The results confirmed the predictions that the crowd noise was not a noise nuisance during the Test Event and the results further showed that no noise nuisance at the noise sensitive receptors was caused by public adress system. The public address system to be used during the main event was very similar to the Test Event therefore it was possible to conclude that the noise nuisance from the event (public address system and spectator noise) could be assessed as being moderate to low risk during the main Games.