§ Mr. CarringtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what resources will be made available to local authorities affected by increased levels of rail traffic resulting from the channel tunnel for noise mitigation.
§ Mr. FreemanSupplementary credit approvals of £1 million and £0.25 million respectively were previously allocated to Kent and Surrey county councils for jointly-funded schemes agreed with British Rail for the provision of acoustic barriers alonside existing tracks at locations in the areas expected to be most affected at night by noise from international freight trains. Kent county council has decided also to offer double glazing for certain isolated properties which could not be protected by noise barriers.
More recently, I have agreed to provide further credit approvals of £0.375 million to Kent, to cover the balance of its costs, and £0.336 million to the London borough of Bromley, which has also agreed a joint noise mitigation scheme with BR.
As stated in my answer of 18 February, Official Report, column 1007, I and my colleagues will be prepared to consider TPP applications for resources in 1995–96 from other authorities in London which agree schemes with BR. Such applications will be considered on their merits and in the light of the resources available.