SIR – I would like to say a big thank you to our Member of Parliament Anne Main, for obtaining an extension, all be it for just one week from DEFRA regarding their noise mapping consultation, which identifies their first priority hot spots for noise reduc

SIR - I would like to say a big thank you to our Member of Parliament Anne Main, for obtaining an extension, all be it for just one week from DEFRA regarding their noise mapping consultation, which identifies their first priority hot spots for noise reduction, for motorways and trunk roads, etc.

The consultation had been going on since July 14, and was due to end on November 4.

The consultation was drawn to our attention on October 18 in the form of an email from St Stephen Parish Council, who themselves received this information via a local resident.

On making enquiries to DEFRA I was told that all county and local councils were made aware of this consultation in January 2009.

It seems very strange to me that none of our county or district councillors and our MP I have spoken to have either been alerted or made aware of this consultation.

As highways co-ordinator for the Bricket Wood Residents Association, I was horrified that after all these years of fighting to get something done about this noisy section of concrete M1 motorway which affects Bricket Wood and blights the life of so many residents that it had actually been left out of the noise mapping consultation.

This we found amazing, particularly in view of all the correspondence and meetings that we have had with the Highways Agency, our MP and our MEP over the past years.

Bricket Wood suffers badly from this old motorway surface, decibel readings of over 90 DB have been recorded, and around the area of the Mount Pleasant Lane school with its 350 pupils, readings of 70DB plus have been recorded, which is way above the recommended figures laid down by World Health Organization.

This motorway noise can be drastically reduced by up to 55 percent by resurfacing with the new quiet tarmac.

With this extra week obtained by Mrs Main it enabled us to do a proper response to DEFRA quoting all our previous history and asking them to reinstate this section of motorway as one of their recognised hot spots for first priority.

Let's all hope that common sense will prevail and that something can be done about this area of noisy motorway

JOHN DRINKWATER

Bricket Wood