Residents urge noise pollution survey in Drumbeg

DRUMBEG residents, who have been opposing plans to build a petrol station on the M1 motorway close to their homes, have called on the Roads Minister to carry out a noise pollution survey in the area.

The residents recently met with the Minister, Danny Kennedy, to express concern about the increase in traffic noise from the motorway over the years. They are also concerned that once the petrol station is built, the noise levels will increase even further.

According to one resident, Ian Farris, whose property is close to the site of the new petrol station, the last noise survey was carried out twenty years ago.

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“We are asking the Minister to carry out another survey as road noise has obviously increased significantly over the years,” explained Mr Farris.

During the meeting, residents urged the Minister to consider installing noise abatement measures on the motorway, similar to those recently installed in Newry.

The residents also stressed to the Minister that with work beginning on the new petrol station, this would be an ideal time to incorporate work to install noise abatement measures.

Mr Farris said that during the meeting the Minister “listened attentively” to the concerns of the residents.

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Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan and Lisburn Councillor Uel Mackin also attended the meeting with the Minister.

“The Minister has recently made an undertaking to have this location considered as part of the Roads Noise Action Plan under the Environmental Noise Pollution Directive and we lobbied him further about this issue” said Mr Givan.

“We pressed him to give consideration to prioritising Drumbeg specifically under the Noise Action Plan,” he continued. “While many other areas may not be deemed as high a priority in respect of noise, action could be taken due to normal re-surfacing schemes or planned maintenance taking place in these areas which we believe is unfair and expressed to the Minister this would be discriminatory. If Drumbeg is made a priority area it should have this work carried out as soon as possible on the basis of noise levels rather than planned maintenance which could result in waiting years for it to take place.”

Councillor Mackin added: “The significant volume of traffic on this major route contributes to a problem of intolerable road noise and we will continue to urge the Minister and his officials to prioritise this scheme in Drumbeg in order to alleviate the many concerns we have received. The programme of works for the new service station will also provide a suitable prospect for noise measures to be introduced.”