TRAFFIC NOISE ON THE A2 IN THE LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

That this House calls upon the Government to join the Council of the London Borough of Bexley and local residents in urging the Highway's Authority to use its powers of discretion to provide noise barriers along the A2 London to Dover trunk road as it passes through the London Borough of Bexley, on the grounds that noise levels are now far greater than when noise insulation was first provided in 1971; notes that the original insulation has deteriorated over the past 27 years; that noise levels in houses in the 'second row' away from the A2 would now justify noise insulation; and that noise levels in properties in the 'front row' are now close to the level officially accepted as making speech inaudible and well above levels recognised as disturbing sleep; further notes that traffic is already higher on the A2 than six out of 10 motorways crossing the M25 and is increasing with greater use of the Channel Tunnel, the new Bluewater shopping complex, and the advent of the Millennium Experience; and recalls that such discretion has already been exercised in providing noise barriers on the A12 (Brentwood, Ingatestone and Mountnessing bypasses) and on the A20 Swanley bypass where traffic and noise levels were less than now experienced on the A2.