Sound
On this page you will find the noise policy of the municipality of Wassenaar, information about nuisance from road traffic, air traffic and other noise sources. If you experience noise pollution, you can read how to report it on the noise pollution page.
Road traffic noise
Wassenaar Municipality has noise policies regarding road traffic for existing locations and new locations.
Policies for new sites
For spatial projects that wish to realize new dwellings (or other sensitive destinations) in the vicinity of roads, or of new roads in the vicinity of sensitive destinations, the municipality of Wassenaar has drawn up Policy Rules for Higher Values. You can find the policy rules at the bottom of this page.
Existing locations
For existing sites, the European Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC was incorporated into Dutch law in 2004. The purpose of this directive is to protect the environment and health, by:
- capture environmental noise exposure from specific noise sources;
- consider measures to control and reduce excessive noise through an action plan.
This is done every five years with the preparation of the following documents:
- Noise map
- Noise Action Plan
- Basic Noise Emission Map
These are municipal roads. The national government is responsible for noise from the A44 and the province of South Holland for the N441 and N440. They each make their own noise action plan and so-called remediation plans.
Noise map
The most recent Map is from 2021 and can be downloaded at the bottom of the page. The Noise Map shows which homes and buildings in the municipality are affected by road traffic noise. The Map provides information about the noise-sensitive objects (such as homes and schools), the quiet areas, the number of residents exposed to a certain noise level and how far the noise reaches (without protection such as insulation or intervening buildings).
Noise Action Plan
The Noise Action Plan Wassenaar 2024-2028 has been adopted by the Municipal Executive. The plan lists the measures the municipality intends to take to control or reduce noise pollution.
The 2024 - 2028 Action Plan can be downloaded at the bottom of the page.
Basic Noise Emission Map
BGE is a new concept to be established no later than 2026. In the future, this BGE will form the basis for testing noise situations along municipal roads. In addition, it serves as a method for monitoring any growth in traffic and thus noise levels. Once every five years, this basic noise emission should be monitored, in line with the cycle for preparing the EU noise maps and the Noise Action Plans. The EU noise maps provide an overview of noise levels in a given area, while the BGE relates specifically to municipal roads and serves as a reference point for future assessments. The Noise Action Plan then uses this information to formulate and evaluate measures to reduce noise pollution.
Air traffic noise
You can complain about air traffic in two places, depending on the type of air traffic:
- nuisance from aircraft taking off and landing in or near Wassenaar can be reported via the following telephone number of DCMR, the service that grants exemptions for this purpose: 0888 - 33 35 55 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day).
- nuisance caused by air traffic to and from Schiphol can be reported to the Local Community Contact Centre Schiphol: 020 - 60 15 555 (7 days a week, between 09:00 and 17:00). Or via www.bezoekbas.nl to submit a report or complaint.
For more information on aircraft nuisance, visit the website of Omgevingsdienst West-Holland.
Aircraft noise is Map via calculations. According to the calculations Wassenaar does not fall within the contour of serious noise pollution from Schiphol (the so-called 48Lden contour). For this reason, Wassenaar cannot join the Schiphol Administrative Region. However, at the request of the municipality of Wassenaar, the municipality may join the administrative preliminary consultations of our region (cluster South-West) in order to represent our interests.
In addition to calculations of noise, measurements are also made. Schiphol measures noise through NOMOS. In addition, since 2023 the municipality of Wassenaar has been taking measurements using Sensornet. The measurement data can be viewed in real time on the Sensornet website.
Other forms of noise pollution
For information on other forms of noise pollution, visit our webpage on Environment - Enforcement and Permitting.