Noise and Air Quality

Markfield Parish Neighbourhood Plan: Referendum Version

properly. That has resulted in a proliferation of on-street/verge/pavement parking in places. Noise and Air Quality

Road transport accounts for a significant portion of air pollution in cities and towns, causing serious pollution problems like carbon monoxide. Due to the increase in the use of private cars, road traffic pollution is considered a major threat to clean air in the UK. Traffic fumes contain harmful chemicals that pollute the atmosphere. Road traffic emissions produce greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. 34% of respondents to our 2019 Questionnaire Survey were affected by air pollution caused by traffic and 57% by traffic noise. Development of the Growth Corridor will require special attention to mitigate both increased noise and pollution. The 4.26Km of the M1 in the parish is split 50/50 between being in cutting or on embankment. The section closest to Markfield village being on a raised embankment significantly facilitates the adverse propagation of noise towards the village. The A511 through the parish (2.1Km) is at grade, whilst approximately 1.22Km of the A50 from the M1 junction 22 is in cut, with the last 0.76Km being on embankment.

Strategic noise maps of England are produced under the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations, 2006. The road noise maps were produced in 2017 and show that much of Markfield is subject to average noise levels between 55dB and 64.9dB Lden 3. Close to the M1 and along Little Shaw Lane noise levels rise to between 70dB and 74.9dB Lden 4. Householders at the lower end of Little Shaw Lane, have been offered grants, through the Bardon Quarry Community Fund, to install tripleglazing to lessen the impact of road-noise. Noise Important Areas (NIAs) for roads are based upon strategic noise maps results. There are around 10,000 NIAs in England including the following in Markfield Neighbourhood Area:  NIA 8243: M1 J22  NIA 7955: M1 Copt Oak  NIA 12124: A511 Flying Horse Roundabout  NIA 7953: A511 west of Billa Barra Lane  NIA 7957: A511 east of Field Head Roundabout

Under the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) regime, local authorities have an obligation to periodically review and assess the air quality in their area and compare their air quality against Air Quality Objectives. Where a local authority

3 Lden (day-evening-night) - a 24 hour annual average noise level in decibels with weightings applied for the evening and night periods 4 Lden (day-evening-night) - a 24 hour annual average noise level in decibels with weightings applied for the evening and night periods