Environmental barriers can mitigate against the negative impacts of new highway such as air, noise and light pollution. Environmental barriers, including earth mounds, associated planting and noise barriers must be designed in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) LD 119 - Roadside environmental mitigation and enhancement.
Future responsibility for features
Where proposals include earth mounds and associated landscape planting and noise barriers, the details of ownership and arrangements for future maintenance must be agreed with the council at the pre-application stage.
Purchasers of residential dwellings are unlikely to accept ownership and responsibility for environmental barriers because of the onerous maintenance liability. If responsibility for environmental barriers is transferred to purchasers of residential dwellings this must be made clear to purchasers at the time of sale and the details should be included in conveyances.
Typically, the district/borough, town or parish council will be expected to adopt and maintain earth mounds and any associated landscape planting and noise barriers. There may be circumstances where the council consider the adoption of barriers within ‘extra-over’ areas where a commuted sum is paid.
Commuted sums
Where the locating of environmental barriers within existing highway limits is agreed by the council, a commuted sum will be required.
Unless agreed otherwise, noise fencing will be treated as a highway structure and will be subject to the design requirements, design checking and inspection fees and commuted sums for future maintenance required for highway structures. (Please refer to Design and Approval of Highway Structures).