Politicians join forces to combat A1(M) noise

POLITICIANS from across the party spectrum have renewed their battle over excessive noise from the A1(M).

Amid concerns over a perceived lack of progress in resolving the issue, an anti-noise taskforce wants an urgent meeting with transport minister Lord Adonis.

The minister, who took over from Tom Harris in October, has come under fire for refusing to criticise a disputed noise survey carried out by the Highways Agency.

Lib Dem borough and county councillor Malcolm Cowan told the WHT: "Tom Harris was willing to lay aside the noise survey and look positively at our request for noise screens.

"Given how long residents have had to put up with the noise that seems entirely reasonable.

"But the new minister seems to have accepted everything he has been told by the Highways Agency and offer the people affected virtually nothing."

Fellow borough councillor Fiona Thomson said: "We will be asking the minister for a meeting so we can present our case directly to him.

"I also want a new noise survey that we shall monitor very closely.

"We will not give up and go away.

"Lord Adonis needs to make up his own mind, not have it made up for him."

Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps said: "We were making some progress, but it seemed to take a step backwards when the new minister took over.

"We won't rest until every measure that can be taken has been taken."

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said Lord Adonis met Mr Shapps in November last year and had continued correspondence with him and councillors regarding their concerns.

He said: "The Highways Agency is committed to understanding and controlling the environmental impact of its activities and assesses the need for specific noise mitigation measures objectively against set criteria.

"The process was followed correctly in this case and there is no reason to question the methodology and calculations of the noise survey.