"No noise reduction measures needed on A12" say Highways Agency

Cllr David Kendall and Cllr Karen Chilvers have reacted with shock and disbelief at Defra's news that no noise reduction measures will be implemented on the A12.

Cllr Chilvers said:

"Exactly two years ago Cllr Kendall and I went to the Highways Agency in Bedford armed with a petition from residents in Selwood Road/Talbrook and surrounding area, a comprehensive resident survey and evidence that the noise levels were too high and had actually been made worse by some work the agency had done to raise the road some years previously. It is abundantly clear that the department were just playing us for mugs, the promised consultation was nothing more than a paper exercise and they weren't actually prepared to do anything from the start."

Cllr Kendall said:

"Some time ago Pilgrims Hatch Borough councillors were told that noise checks had been done in the Hurstwood Avenue area and they were found to be over the level requiring noise mitigation measures. All this time we have been waiting to find out what options residents would be offered to help try and reduce the noise. Now the Highways Agency say the noise isn't bad enough for reduction measures to be introduced and we aren't going to get anything."

Council officers have also been unable to understand the actions Defra have taken and noted, in an email to councillors, that:

• Defra appear not to have used any scientific assessment to determine what measures are appropriate
• All of the assessments have been done on a desk-top basis with no site visits or real data to justify the results (even though they were provided them with the information we had obtained)
• The council was hoping for a solution which would improve the noise climate in the vicinity rather than relying on an existing low-noise surfacing which was already in place when we made the measurements and in any event is only expected to provide a 1-2dB reduction over normal surfacing, which to the human ear is not normally discernible.
• There appear to be no proposals to improve exposure to A12 road traffic noise.

The Liberal Democrat councillors have asked for the matter to be discussed at the next Environment Panel, hoping that a strong message can be sent from the council on this matter.