Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to reduce noise on the M25 between junctions 10 and 11.
Answered by George Freeman
Currently Highways England has a programme to replace the joints between the concrete slabs between junctions 9 and 11. This work is being done to ensure the road surface is maintained in good condition, but it should also help to reduce noise from the road surface.
Highways England is also carrying out trials to test materials and techniques which could help to reduce road noise from concrete surfacing on the M25 network. This trial is being carried out on the M1 motorway southbound between junctions 5 and 6.
This trial is due to finish in 2022 and the findings will be used to develop our long-term strategy for managing concrete road surfaces in the south east. The trial does include a period of accelerated testing on other parts of the strategic road network before 2022, and Highways England will keep this under review.
Highways England will monitor the condition and safety of the strategic network regularly and the surface of the M25 between junctions 10 and 11 is inspected weekly. Any safety critical defects will be repaired within 24 hours with a permanent repair completed within 28 days.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the addition of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on noise pollution levels in the Woking constituency.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Appraisal of Sustainability[1] that accompanies the Airports National Policy Statement provides a strategic level assessment of the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of expansion, including on noise, based on indicative flight paths.
At this stage, it is not possible to identify the exact noise impacts on specific communities, such as Woking, if expansion proceeds. These will depend on changes to flight paths, which in the UK must be approved through the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change Process. This is a seven-stage process, often taking a number of years between an airport alerting the CAA to a potential change, and the CAA making a decision on whether that change can be implemented.
This regulatory process will provide further opportunities for people from local communities, such as Woking, to comment on the detailed proposals for new flightpaths.
Heathrow Airport Limited are currently at the second stage of the Airspace Change Process. This stage is known as ‘Option Development’, and requires the airport to design a number of options for new flight paths which will then be published for public consultation.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the results of the market sounding exercise for a southern rail link to Heathrow announced on 13 June 2018.
Answered by Andrew Jones
Earlier this year the Department undertook market testing. This is the first step in the development of Southern Access and will inform the further work required before any decision on whether to and, if so, how this scheme will be progressed.
A summary of responses will be published in due course.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
Whether he plans to approve a southern rail link to Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The Department is actively looking at a future Southern Rail Link to Heathrow and this scheme will be considered alongside other national priorities through the planning process for the next control period.
In May we launched a formal Market Sounding for a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow and results of this are expected to be published later this year. The outcome of this engagement will provide further clarity on whether to and, if so, how this scheme will be progressed and funded.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of noise from Heathrow Airport on people living in the Woking constituency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential effect of an increase in such noise as a result of the construction of a third runway.
Answered by John Hayes
The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and is considering all of the evidence, including on noise, very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme.