NOISE levels on parts of the A419 carriageway have doubled since the road was constructed in 1998, according to an action group.

Excessive noise caused by a concrete section of the road near Latton has been plaguing residents since it was built in 1998 .

The A419 Noise Action Group, which has been campaigning to get the noisy section of the carriageway repaired, made the findings about the noise increase when they conducted a study using sound recording equipment at the Latton and Cerney Wick sections of the A419.

Now the group is contacting The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to arrange a meeting in order to present its findings.

Cllr Paul Hodgkinson (CDC, Churn Valley) who chairs the group said he believes the new figures give firm evidence that action should be taken.

He said: “ For residents living anywhere near the dual carriageway it’s not a surprise but it’s still shocking nonetheless. This pollution is more than an irritant – excess noise has been proven to impact on your health and well-being.

“Now, as we are making public these figures for the first time they make uncomfortable reading for the authorities.”

Ray Brassington, a member of the group, who took the readings using a sound level meter, explained the findings: “I was employed by the district council in 1998 as an environmental health officer and undertook an extensive noise survey along the length of the A419 and A417 and one of the monitoring locations was in Cerney Wick. The readings then were taken at the exact same location as now and over a same 15 minute period.

“What I’ve found is that the noise level has doubled in that time. The level now is 61 decibels.”