DEFRA TO MAP SOME OF BRIGHTON'S NOISIEST ROADS

Some of the South East's noisiest roads are to be put on the map.

Ben Bradshaw, Local Environmental Quality Minister, confirmed today that Brighton is one of 20 major towns, cities and regions to have their roads mapped out to identify areas where noise is an issue.

The new research, commissioned by Defra, marks a key phase in the Government's plan to plot noise from roads, railways, aircraft and industrial sites across all of England.

The map for Brighton will follow the one already produced for London, which recently won a prestigious innovation award for the best new media technology to improve public life.

Ben Bradshaw said the award from New Statesman demonstrated just how beneficial these maps can be for everyone.

"The potential usages are enormous - by creating noise maps we can get a better understanding of the overall situation and target our efforts to tackle unwanted noise where it is really needed.

"Unwanted noise has probably affected us all at one time or another - it can cause stress and annoyance, interrupt conversation and disturb sleep.

"By creating more of these maps we can help Government, local authorities, planners and the Brighton public better understand noise levels and work more efficiently to reduce the number of people who are exposed to high levels of noise."

The Noise Mapping England Project is part of the first stage of the development of a National Ambient Noise Strategy. The idea is to identify, in simple terms, where people are affected by noise, how many are affected, and what the source of the noise is.

The findings from the mapping project will then be evaluated against economic, social and environmental factors before agreeing the necessary action required and final strategy.

The other cities and towns to be noise mapped include: Reading, Bristol, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Southend, Leicester, Nottingham, Coventry, Stoke on Trent, Hull, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Preston, Tyneside and Teeside, along with the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

* In early 2002, the government undertook a consultation on its proposal, announced in the Rural White Paper 2000 to develop an Ambient Noise Strategy in England. The strategy is due to be developed by 2007.

* Noise maps will help to: * calculate the scale of public exposure to the main sources of environmental or background noise; * develop realistic objectives for noise management; * develop co-ordinated and cost-effective action plans to reduce noise; * enable plans to be tested to try and understand in detail their likely impact; * making more effective use of local, regional and national planning procedures to control and reduce noise; * monitoring the effectiveness of action plans and planning procedures; * monitoring trends in environmental noise; * providing a platform for further research. * In September 2004, Defra revealed London's noisiest boroughs, including Havering, Hounslow, Barnet, Westminster and Enfield, as the first noise map for England was published. See: http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2004/040914a.htm London Road Traffic Noise Map has been created to provide information on the levels of road traffic noise across the whole of the Greater London area. Other types of noise will be covered by projects that are being planned or progressed at present. For more information and to see the London map, go to: http://www.noisemapping.org/about/default.asp * The London map won the 'Innovation Award' at the New Statesman New Media Awards 2005. The awards highlight the positive impact of new media technology on public life.

Issued on behalf of the Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs by the Government News Network South East.