August 2018
An action group from along the A419/A417 has welcomed a commitment from roads bosses to sort out excess noise from the dual carriageway.
The issue of noise from the road has been rumbling on for residents since it was first built in 1998. Various attempts to reduce the sound have been made over the years and the action group, A419NAG (Noise Action Group), was formed in 2012. It has been lobbying on behalf of residents all along the notorious road.
Now, the group is taking heart from the results of a consultation into the big project to solve the ‘Missing Link’ at Birdlip.
At a councillor briefing in Gloucester recently Highways England, who are responsible for the dual carriageway between Swindon and the M5, presented the results of their consultation into solving the gridlock at the Air Balloon.
2000 responses were received and people said they were concerned about noise pollution further down the A417/419 both north and south of Cirencester and stretching into Wiltshire.
Cllr Paul Hodgkinson (GCC, Bourton & Northleach) chairs the A419NAG: “I asked project bosses about this and they said they would be working with their colleagues to find ways to cut the noise levels.
“We absolutely back the Missing Link project but we also need to make sure people living up and down the dual carriageway don’t keep suffering from excessive road noise from the concrete sections which were built 20 years ago. With projected traffic to increase on the A417 by 50% by the mid 2020’s residents need reassurance that this will be dealt with.”
Janet Sharpe is a member of the lobby group from Latton: “It’s good news that noise pollution is on the radar at last and that is thanks to constant lobbying. Concrete roads aren’t built anymore because they are just too noisy for residents living by them. We represent communities up and down the A419 and want the noise cut. It’s a reasonable request and one which Highways England can sort out at the same time as getting traffic moving at Birdlip.”
