Huge barriers aim to cut pollution
HUGE wooden barriers the height of houses are set to be erected along the A494 as the road passes through Deeside. The Welsh Government believes the 30ft-high structures will cut roadside pollution for nearby residents.
One section will stretch 430 metres along the road as it runs down Aston Hill, Queensferry. Two more sections, totalling 270 metres, will combine to shield houses along a near half-mile stretch of the road, previously identified as one of the most polluted parts of the North Wales road network.
Already a 50mph speed limit has been put in place between St David’s Park and Deeside Industrial Park to protect residents from vehicle emissions. Combined with the three “air quality barriers”, consultants forecast an 11% drop in roadside pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide.
The plans have been submitted to Flintshire council by the Cardiffbased WSP planning consultancy, acting on behalf of the Welsh Government. The company is trying to establish if the scheme will need an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
A WPS document accepts there could be a “negative impact on natural views of the landscape”. For affected properties, the A494 will be screened off and residents are likely to experience a “reduction in noise from the traffic”.
Views for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will also be blocked off. However, WPS says this will be for a “limited time period” until they pass the barriers.
Crucially, the consultants believe the giant screens will not affect the “operation of the carriageway”, nor compromise traffic safety.