The Calp City Council has approved the Municipal Acoustic Plan (PAM), a local strategic document that assesses and manages environmental noise in the municipality and includes corrective measures. All of this is aimed at improving the acoustic quality of Calp.
This plan was developed in compliance with the Law on Protection against Noise Pollution, which requires municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants to create a municipal acoustic plan.
To develop the PAM, noise maps were created and acoustic measurements were taken in different areas of the town, both in winter and summer. These measurements determined that the main source of noise in the municipality is road traffic.
One of the measures included in the plan to improve the acoustic quality of Calp is to address these sources of noise pollution. These measures include increased controls and inspections, speed limits on urban roads, promotion of public and non-motorized transport, and the proposal to pedestrianize certain streets in the municipality, among others.
The plan also aims to strengthen the monitoring and enforcement of noise emission levels stipulated in vehicle and motorcycle homologation regulations, as well as the replacement of road surfaces with noise-absorbing pavement.
Another measure proposed by the plan is the assessment of acoustically saturated zones (ZAS), designated as such due to the noise impact caused by numerous recreational activities, shows, and public establishments, the activity of the people who frequent them, and traffic noise in these areas. In this regard, the Municipal Acoustic Plan (PAM) proposes a specific study in two particular areas where higher noise levels have been observed due to these types of activities: Calle Castellón de la Plana, which is currently a ZAS, and the intersection of Calle La Niña and Calle Alemania, where prominent nightlife areas are located. The Municipal Acoustic Plan establishes that the City Council must promote proposals in ZAS zones to reduce the noise impact of leisure activities. In any case, there is the possibility of extending the ZAS (Acoustically Protected Zone) designation to other areas of the municipality where high levels of noise pollution from nightlife are detected.
Likewise, this document proposes carrying out training, information, and awareness campaigns for both municipal staff and the general public regarding the problems associated with noise pollution.
Furthermore, this strategic document also includes requiring the use of efficient machinery, according to acoustic criteria, in tenders for waste collection, cleaning, and gardening services. It also mandates proper preventative maintenance, promotes the analysis and purchase of new, quieter systems and technologies, and studies the possibility of carrying out noisy operations during less critical hours, among other measures.
