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20/04/04

Nasty noisy nuisance road


With the lounge finished, attention turns to the garden and that noisy road
So, the lounge is great and it's a room that we could actually enjoy, were it not for that blinkin' road.

I thought that the doubled glazed units would have a greater affect on the traffic noise. Yeah, they cut it down, but you can still hear it. The problem is exacerbated, of course, by the sheer volume of glass in the back bays.

Anyhow, we've become totally sensitised to it and sit there waiting for the next loud motorbike or lorry to go by. Wet days make things worse.

The leaves are coming out on the trees, so you can't really see the road anymore. It's just a shame we can't reduce the noise by another 50 percent.

I've written to my MP and had a letter back on Commons notepaper, saying he's taking the matter up with Transport for London. My complaint was the state of the current roadside fence and the fact it wasn't a proper noise-abatement style fence.

I've being doing my research on the Internet and found a company (see sidebar link) that produces the fences for motorway sidings. They are maintenance free for 25 years and reduce noise by, conveniently, up to 50 percent. I am lobbying for one of these to go up.

Next step is to write to all my neighbours asking them to lend their support. I think I've got a good argument: traffic has more than doubled since the fence was erected, yet nothing has been done to protect their properties from the extra noise. In fact, the existing measure hasn't even been maintained properly!

Hoping to get the letter off in the next couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I am digging a flippin' great trench (foundations) for a garden wall that will enclose a 7 x 7 metre patch of my garden and the lounge bay window to keep the noise down. I figure it's better to have a smaller portion of pleasant garden than a large unpleasant one.

I'll keep you posted on progress on both fronts...

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