§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department has issued in respect of the use of whisper concrete or asphalt for road construction and resurfacing projects in(a) rural areas and (b) urban areas; and if he will make a statement. [91913]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThis is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Peter Pike, dated 22 July 1999:
596WThe Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson, has asked me to reply to your recent question about guidance issued in respect of the use of whisper concrete or asphalt for road construction and resurfacing projects in either rural areas or in urban areas.Guidance on the use of both whisper concrete and asphalt for use in trunk road construction and maintenance is contained in two separate publications. General guidance over surfacing alternatives is given in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, Volume 7, HD 36/99. While specifications for these materials is included in the Manual of Contract Documents, Volume 1 and 2. No distinction is made between their use in rural and urban areas as the choice of surfacing is based on the particular requirements for each road. Both documents are published and available in the House of Commons library.If you require further information I suggest that you contact the Agency's Group Manager responsible for road surfacing, Graham Bowskill. He can be contacted on 0171 921 4746 and is familiar with both whisper concrete and asphalt road surfaces.
§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the impact of noise from motorways and high speed roads in(a) urban areas and (b) rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [91912]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Government have been well aware of concern about the level of traffic noise arising from motorways and other high speed roads. Our proposals for dealing with the problem arising from those roads for which the Secretary of State has responsibility were explained in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England". We announced the annual budget which was being ring-fenced for this purpose on 22 March 1999,Official Report, columns 50–51, together with criteria which would target the most serious and pressing cases.
The Highways Agency has assessed a number of locations where traffic noise had been a particular cause for concern against the sift criteria. The Agency will shortly be undertaking detailed studies of those locations meeting the criteria where there are no immediate plans to replace the existing road surface with a quieter one. The studies are necessary to discover the most appropriate means of dealing with the problem. There has been no differentiation between urban and rural areas, but the studies will take into account the proximity of housing to the road.
The Agency has also made good progress in the use of lower noise surfaces when maintenance is due on existing roads. Approximately three quarters of maintenance contracts undertaken since last year have used these new surfaces.