Council decisions have created insane road noise - do I have any recourse?

[Waferbiscuit]

Not quite sure where to post this so apologies this is in Chat!

I live on a main road which has up to now been fairly quiet. The Council have introduced Low Traffic Neighbourhoods which is redirecting a huge amount of traffic onto my road - there is about 3x more traffic than previously.

At the same time they repaved the road which a much rougher non-slip surface, which is quite gravelly, and this has hugely increased the traction/road noise. Before we heard nothing (new triple glazing on all windows) but now it's so loud we can't sit or sleep in the front rooms of the house. We hear everything.

I have written the Council to complain about the noise and ask if the change in noise pollution was being measured but after a year of many emails, have had no reply. Do I have any legal recourse to complain about Council decisions that are significantly reducing my quality of life? I doubt they even realize that their road paving solutions create so much noise. My house is so noisy now I hate being here and I dare say it's value has also reduced.

Any experience of addressing this kind of problem would be appreciated.

In my experience going up against your local council is arduous and unlikely to get a result.

How we you will fare better if you can organise a group of you. Perhaps start a private Facebook group.

Local Councillor or your MP may be able to help especially if there are a number of affected residents.
If you are up for it sad faces in local newspaper

I second starting a local FB group. A FB group locally managed to get the council to post an online evaluation form regarding the local LTN and cycle lanes. The response was so overwhelming, the council acted and changed some (not all) of the previous decisions.

It has certainly divided opinion in Birmingham. Those with less traffic than before are in favour.
Who would've guessed that, eh?! Three times as much noise and pollution on the other roads doesn't seem like a great solution.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-56927371.amp

Trying to oppose a council is when you discover what the term ' faceless bureaucracy' means.

Yes a residents' group may get more traction but that means being in a residents' group which is in itself a pita.

I often wonder where councillors expect traffic to go when they close roads. Makes no sense at all.

Thank you soo much for all your comments. They made me laugh. A bit especially the faceless bureaucracy bit (so true!) and the headache of local neighbourhood groups and sad face photo shoots. Agree that those 2 options would work.

I’m not against ltns and happy that the quality of life of better for many in my neighbourhood but I feel there is complete disregard for the losers in the process. Some people deserve quiet safe roads and neoghbourhoods, just not me apparently.

Sorry for typos above. Am on the phone in the park typing quickly.

You need to contact your local councillor, not the council in general.

@BigWhooper I honestly think Counciillors believe that if they close the roads everyone will magically pick up their bikes and cycle. Large families, tired disgruntled people doing shift work at a factory out of town, disabled people. All riding their bikes. Magic!

I’ve written to my local councillor 5x in the last year with very reasonable comments and suggestions. Apparently he is too busy to reply to the emails he receives. Really!

Lol yeah.

I wouldn't bet on there being much of a cafe vibe going on in the closed streets (ooh sounds a bit Soviet) tbh. There's a few newly closed round here and all it means is that the dealers are being a bit more open as there's no 'eyes on' from passing traffic. Think the council only thought about the big houses at the bottom of the hill and not the dodgy HMOs at the top when drawing up their cafe society blueprint.

Although I did see a woman slumped over a beaker of slush from the londis on the wall outside it after she'd had her spice so maybe there's movement in that direction.

Where I live councillors are grouped into committees with specific responsibilities not sure if its the same everywhere
Usually need to contact the ones for highways and transport or the ones who deal with climate change as I presume its been done to reduce pollution elsewhere.
Ask for noise readings in your home if possible even if they remove or replace the road surface it would improve things