A big thank you to local residents in Ports Solent, Paulsgrove and across Portsmouth North who have rallied to my request to write letters to the Highways Agency and Department of Transport.
Penny said, “The response to my last letter on the noise caused by the M27 has been fantastic. A hundreds of residents wrote to the Secretary of State and the Highways Agency to reiterate my calls for a proper assessment to be made and for noise abatement measures to be taken”.
At the same time as Penny wrote out to residents she also wrote to the Highways Agency and put the case once more and since then she has met the Secretary of State in person. I am very pleased that I can now report that progress has been made.
In a letter to me Ivan Le Fevre, Environment Group Manager at the Highways Agency, stated that:
‘I fully recognise that motorway noise in this location is adversely affecting local residents’ quality of life… we acknowledge that the local community in the past may have had the impression that we did not care about the noise issues in this location, but I can assure you that this is far from the case’.
What is more, action is promised. Mr Le Fevre confirmed that the Port Solent and Paulsgrove stretch of the M27 is an ‘Important Area’ in the first wave to be assessed for noise mitigation, that a detailed barrier feasibility study for the M27 will be commissioned shortly, and that subject to the findings of that study and without compromising the Smart Motorway Project work to install barriers would have a completion target of the 2015/16 financial year.
Penny added, “This is excellent news and shows what concerted action can achieve. I know this has been a long slog and that celebrations should be saved until the barriers are erected but this is good progress. I will keep up the pressure on the Highways Agency to get on with this work and will continue to keep residents informed of developments.”
“A big thank you for everyone who wrote and helped the campaign.”
