Call to hush noisy road (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Call to hush noisy road

RESIDENTS troubled by a noisy stretch of the A419 are being told to put pressure on the Government to resurface the concrete road.

Noisy traffic has been a constant nuisance to homeowners living on the outskirts of Cirencester since the bypass was built in the 1990s.

Three years ago the Government promised to resurface all concrete roads by 2011, but that pledge was recently retracted.

Now Preston Parish Council is lobbying the Government and the Highways Agency to reconsidered its position.

Parish clerk Helen Tonks said: "We have been fighting to get the stretch of road resurfaced because it's noisy and intrusive.

"There was a huge U-turn in Government policy and we have written to Alistair Darling (Transport Secretary) asking why there was a fanfare made when the pledge was made and not when it was subsequently abandoned. Initially residents were able to apply for compensation, but there are no new applications allowed."

Ministers pledged in 2000 to resurface all concrete motorways, dual carriageways and other trunk roads with quieter asphalt by 2011.

But the Highways Agency has decided to abandon the timetable due to overspending on other schemes because resurfacing with quieter, porous asphalt costs £750,000 per mile.

Concrete roads are noisy because of the grooves at right angles to the direction of travel, which generates a hum as tyres pass over.

Chris Grayling, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said: "It's just not good enough for Mr Darling and the Prime Minister to tell the people affected that they will get rid of these noisy surfaces, and then do a U-turn behind the scenes."

Cotswold District Council objected to the Government's backtracking and tomorrow (Friday) a meeting will take place at Trinity Road about the issue.

Cotswold district councillor Clive Bennett (Con, Water Park) will join Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and a local representative to plan how to change minds at the Highways Agency.

Cllr Bennett said: "One month they said the stretch would be resurfaced to make it quieter by 2007, the next they did an utter U-turn and said forget about it.

"I live in South Cerney and can hear the hum and drum of the A417 day and night, but that is nothing compared to living in Latton and Preston.

"The Government should not make a promise and then renege on it. It's shocking."