CIEH Noise Management Conference

Colin Cobbing, Director, Pinnacle Acoustics Consultants Limited & Environmental Protection Advisory Panel Member, CIEH. Colin is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and Fellow Member of the Institute of Acoustics. He has been working in the field of environmental health and acoustics for more than 30 years.

Over that period of time, he has worked for various local authorities as well as in the private sector. 

He has been closely involved in a number of national infrastructure projects including Heathrow Terminal 5, the Thameslink Programme, Crossrail and HS2.

He has a particular interest in environmental impact assessment and health assessment as well as human centered and holistic design approaches. 

Professional involvement and publications include:

• member of EH/1/3, the BSI Committee drafting panel responsible for the BS 4142,
• co-author of the Red Book: ANC Guidelines - Measurement and Assessment of Groundborne Noise and Vibration. 2nd Edition May 2012, and
• CIRIA steering group which is developing guidelines for the control and assessment of noise and vibration from roads and railways,
• IEMA Guidelines for Noise Impact Assessment,
• Professional Practice Guidance on Planning and Noise for New Residential Development (May 2017)
• IOA/ CIEH guidance notes on Air Source Heat Pumps 

Martin Higgins, Director, May Walters Ltd. Martin Higgins AMIOA has spent 20 years developing consulting businesses in the built environment and most of his life at tennis clubs, he formed MW Acoustics which specialises in delivering noise assessments for padel at sporting venues. He is a qualified acoustic consultant and in 2024 published one of the most detailed research papers which created a noise model and benchmarked the sound created by padel courts. Prior to this he supervised investigation departments in a metropolitan police force, delivering criminal and ASB enforcement caseloads. He was a lead liaison officer for large public demonstrations where he negotiated with stakeholders to ensure safety and compliance, often in highly charged and emotional environments. He brings a stakeholder-oriented approach to assessment work to encourage positive community reactions to padel developments.

Matthew Cand, Associate Director and Team Leader, Hoare Lea. Matthew Cand (Dipl. Eng. PhD. MIOA) who is an associate director and team leader with Hoare Lea and a member of the Institute of Acoustics (IOA). Matthew is an expert in the assessment of wind farm noise and is one of the authors of the Institute of Acoustics Good Practice Guide (IOA GPG) on the use of the ETSU-R-97 methodology. Matthew has worked for the past 20 years on more than 100 wind farm schemes across the UK and Ireland. Matthew has also provided expert witness at several wind farm hearings and inquiries and technical training for different local authorities.

Phil McIlwain, Associate, Quantum Acoustics. Phil currently works as an Associate at Quantum Acoustics. He has considerable experience in environmental health and protection, acoustic and air quality consultancy for over 28 years. He has worked for Local Authorities for over 20 years including Westminster City Council. And worked in private sector consultancy since 2011. Phil gained the IOA Diploma in Acoustics in 2003 and added his MSc in Applied Acoustics in 2012, he has recently completed the inaugural IOA Certificate of Competence in Soundscape Assessment at UCL. He is a member of the Institute of Acoustics (MIOA), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (MCIEH), as well as MIEnvSci and MIAQM. Phil has also held the position of senior visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster since 2008.

Simon Shilton, Director, Acustica Limited. Simon is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics, with over 30 years of experience in acoustics and environmental sound management within environmental consultancy. He has authored several technical guidance documents on strategic noise mapping, and noise action planning, for Government agencies across Europe; co-authored peer reviewed papers on noise mapping, and authored more than 50 papers at UK and international conferences. Simon has extensive expertise in planning, enactment and delivery of all aspects of the EU Environmental Noise Directive, including modelling and calculating noise from roads, railways, aircraft and industry. He was involved in the development of the common noise assessment methods for Europe, CNOSSOS-EU, over a nine year period, and led the first phase of work to develop new British calculation methods for roads and railways for the past 7 years. Simon is a Member of three British Standards committees, and three ISO working groups, including work on the recent revision of the ISO 9613-2 calculation method, and ISO 17534 series on implementing outdoor sound calculation methods in software.

Somayya Yaqub, Member, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). Somayya Yaqub is an Environmental Health Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in Enforcement, Environmental Protection, Health and Safety, Housing and Planning. She has extensive experience of big regeneration projects and risk prevention through design. She has provided evidence at planning inquiries and House of Commons Select Committee. She is also co-author of the Professional Planning Guidance document to supplement the National Planning Policy framework, and the Heat Pumps Professional Advice Note. A member of the Institute of Acoustics Environmental Noise Committee and a Member of the CIEH Environmental Protection Group and Noise Satellite Panel. Her interests are focused on the design and construction of homes that protect and support the health and wellbeing of occupants without dependence on air purifiers or mechanical ventilation. The approach includes consideration of soundscape, good acoustic design, and access to green spaces. These homes would be planned in accordance with anticipated climate changes, such as extreme heat and cold, and would utilise renewable energy sources.

Toby Lewis, Technical Director (Acoustics), WSP UK Ltd. After 23 years working in environmental health, Toby joined WSP in 2015 where he is now a Technical Director in the 50-strong acoustics team. He provides expert advice to a variety of clients, including national government and many local authorities, but still really enjoys getting out to do field measurements and complex site assessment work. In addition to his consultancy work, he enjoys lecturing, training, and participating in technical working groups. He has published work on the dynamics between noise and planning, wind turbine noise assessment and regulation, entertainment noise and industrial noise. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIEH and a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics.

Direct Acoustics Solutions 

For over 300 venues across the UK and beyond, Direct Acoustics has delivered targeted acoustic solutions that keep sound exactly where you need it and out of where you don't. From marquees and barns to hotel function rooms and bespoke events, our systems are engineered to contain, control, and direct sound with exceptional accuracy. We work in partnership with acoustic consultants, environmental health officers, and venue operators to solve challenges such as:

• Managing and preventing noise complaints
• Supporting licence applications and planning approvals
• Achieving compliance for new and existing developments

Our solutions combine:

• Zone Array the highly directional speaker system for precise coverage and minimal spill
• Proprietary process-limiting software to maintain compliance
• Isolated mass barrier systems tackling low-frequency transmission beyond the reach of conventional soundproofing

By addressing the low-frequency challenge that undermines most standard PA systems, we help venues achieve maximum permissible volume levels in line with Institute of Acoustics guidelines and environmental health requirements. With in-house manufacturing, expert installation, ongoing servicing, and long-term performance management, Direct Acoustics offers a complete, proven approach. The result: exceptional audience experiences without compromising neighbour amenity or planning conditions.