§ Mr. David HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list his Department's current obligations relating to road noise arising from the construction of new trunk roads.
§ Mr. WattsThis is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my right hon. Friend.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Howell, dated 12 January 1995:
As you know, since the creation of the Highways Agency, it falls to me as Chief Executive to write to MPs who have tabled questions on matters which relate to operational matters of the Agency.
The Noise Insulation Regulations 1975 require highway authorities to carry out or pay grant towards the cost of insulation of qualifying residential property against traffic noise arising from the use of new or altered roads. Dwellings, or other buildings used for residential purposes, within 300 metres of a new or altered road are eligible for insulation if it is calculated that within 15 years of opening the noise level will increase by 1 dB to a level of at least 68 dB.
The Regulations also allow highway authorities discretion to carry out or pay grant towards the cost of insulation of residential property against noise arising from the construction of new or altered roads.
§ Mr. David HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what decibel readings his departmental officials are receiving from within 300 of the A3 in the region of Ash Grove, Guildford;
(2) what decibel readings his departmental officials are receiving from within 300 m of the A3 in the region of Weston road, Guildford;
(3) what decibel readings his departmental officials are receiving from within 300 m of the A3 in the region of Burpham and Abbotswood.
§ Mr. WattsThese are operational matters for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my right hon. Friend.
198WLetter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. David Howell, dated 12 January 1995:
I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what decibel readings we are receiving from within 300 metres of the A3 at several locations within Guildford.
There is no general monitoring by the Agency of noise levels on the trunk road network and I regret, therefore, that the information you require is not available.
You know that the section of A3 which passes Ash Grove, Weston Road, and Abbotswood (and Burpham) is a post 1969 road. It forms part of the A3 Burpham to Ladymead scheme which opened to traffic in 1981. In his letter of 23 November, Dr. Mawhinney explained that the obligations placed on the Department of Transport by the Land Compensation Act 1973 and associated regulations, both in terms of the noise mitigation measures and compensation for depreciation in the value of property caused by noise, were fully discharged in respect of that scheme. He also explained in some detail why existing unaltered roads in this category could not be reassessed and retreated for noise mitigation.
It follows that no purpose would be served in taking noise measurements along this section of the A3.