Road noise 'biggest threat' to a tranquil countryside » Communities » 24dash.com

Tranquillity is vital if we want to live healthy lives, according to a new report on road noise in the countryside.

The report, prepared for the Noise Association by the Transport for Quality of Life Group, identifies the expansion of roads, motor traffic levels and speeds as the main reasons for a huge expansion of noise pollution and consequent loss of tranquillity in rural communities and the countryside.

Underlining the growing importance of tranquillity as a measure of environmental quality, the Annual Conference of the Royal Geographical Society will include a major paper today on mapping tranquillity.

Welcoming the report's findings, the Campaign to Protect Rural England's Head of Policy Tom Oliver, said: "The coincidence of a major new report on road noise which identifies the damaging effects of the loss of tranquillity and the presentation of tranquillity mapping to an international audience is the clearest possible sign that this is an urgent issue for all decision makers."

In response to the Noise Association report and the highlighting of tranquillity by the Royal Geographical Society, CPRE has spelt out some key actions it would like the Government to take to secure tranquillity in the future:

• Take on the Noise Association’s top recommendation to reduce motor traffic speeds, which would also quickly reduce carbon emissions.
• Enforce speed limits on rural roads to ensure they are not ignored and undermined through lack of enforcement action.
• Make a commitment to subject any road expansion proposal to exacting tests of its environmental effects, including the impact on tranquillity in the countryside.

Tom Oliver added: "It is becoming ever clearer that the quality of our environment is vital to our health and well-being. Tranquillity is a key measure of that quality.

"But so far, with transport policy, the Government and its advisers, including the Planning Inspectorate, are woefully silent on the issue.

"We need the Department for Transport and other decision makers to wake up to this urgent problem, and catch up with progressive thinking."