§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instruct the Highways Agency to add to the list of possible noise mitigation schemes, published in theOfficial Report on 11 November 1999, columns 681-83W, (a) the A46 at Harvington and (b) the M5 at Whittington. [121313]
§ Mr. HillNo. Neither location meets the criteria established in the announcement of 22 March 1999 to determine whether the need for noise remedial measures should be studied in further detail. The A46 at Harvington carries far less traffic than would generate a roadside 485W noise level of 80dB (A). The M5 at Whittington was improved more recently than 1988 and noise mitigation measures were provided in accordance with current standards.
§ Mr. LuffTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the criteria for potential road noise mitigation schemes published on 22 March 1999 to include roads built or widened after 1988. [121314]
§ Mr. HillThe purpose of the policy is to focus attention on cases where people may not have had the benefit of noise mitigation measures provided in accordance with current standards. These standards were introduced in 1988 and it is not appropriate to review schemes where noise mitigation was designed within those standards.