On Wednesday 25th March, I raised the issue of noise pollution from the A38 with the Prime Minister, David Cameron at Prime Minister’s Questions. I am delighted to share with my constituents that the Prime Minister was supportive of my campaign, something I have consistently campaigned on since I was elected.
I know that noise from the A38 is a nuisance for those that live in the areas which surround it and I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment of £75 million nationally, which will fund the resurfacing of 80% of the nation’s roads with noise reducing surface. I’m also pleased about the Government’s commitment to tackling this issue and the Prime Minister’s reassurance that he will look into what measures can be introduced to resolve the issue of noise from the A38 here in Amber Valley. I was also glad about his comments and I welcome the introduction of noise reducing measures sooner rather than later, these measures are long overdue and I’m pleased about the progress of my campaign towards a solution.
Nigel Mills MP: Many hundreds of households in Amber Valley still suffer from noise from the A38 through my constituency. Does my right hon. Friend agree that measures to reduce the noise should be brought forward, and that where development takes place which uses the advantages of being near the A38, the developers should use their profits from those sites to fund noise reduction measures?
The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend has consistently campaigned on this issue. He is quite right to do so—it is a big concern to his constituents. We are providing £75 million for noise mitigation on our national road network. We are resurfacing 80% of that network with low noise surfacing. That can make a real difference, and I will look carefully at what we can do for my hon. Friend’s constituency.