Committee
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee, 22 Mar 2004
22 Mar 2004 · S2 · Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill Committee
Item of business
Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill: Consideration Stage
Item 2 is the hearing of further evidence on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill. We start today's evidence hearing with group 10 which, unfortunately, we were not able to get to last week. The witnesses for the promoter for this group are Stuart Coventry and Alf Maneylaws, who will give evidence on environmental matters; David Reid, who will give evidence on existing railway processes; Tara Whitworth, who will give evidence on engineering and other matters; and Alison Gorlov, who will give evidence on compensation. Before we commence, I invite Tara Whitworth to stand and make a solemn affirmation.Tara Whitworth made a solemn affirmation.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
Lab
Item 2 is the hearing of further evidence on the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine Railway and Linked Improvements Bill. We start today's evidence hearing with group...
The Convener:
Lab
I remind the other witnesses for the promoter that they are still under oath from the meeting on 8 March.Mr Martin, do you have any questions for Mr Coventry...
Roy Martin QC (Counsel for the Promoter):
Yes. Thank you, sir, and good morning to the committee. I have one question to ask of Mr Coventry and Mr Maneylaws.
The Convener:
Lab
Proceed.
Roy Martin:
The issue has been raised of the noise that will be created at the level-crossing at Ladysneuk Road. Could Mr Coventry or Mr Maneylaws explain what elements ...
Stuart Coventry (Scott Wilson Ltd):
There are two points in relation to the crossing: first, the noise made by the alarm at the crossing and, secondly, the fact that there will inevitably be a ...
Alf Maneylaws (Scott Wilson Ltd):
The calculation of noise levels from trains passing in the area is based on the method given in "Calculation of Railway Noise". The barriers as defined in th...
Roy Martin:
May we take it that those matters were addressed in the environmental statement?
Alf Maneylaws:
Yes, the level-crossing is addressed in the environmental statement. The method for assessing noise from level-crossing alarms is not included in "Calculatio...
Roy Martin:
I have no further questions. The precognitions by the four witnesses who are before you, which the committee may appreciate, are in document SAK/S2/04/4/30, ...
The Convener:
Lab
Mr Brewerton, do you have any questions for Mr Coventry or Mr Maneylaws?
Chris Brewerton:
Yes. I am aware that the proceedings are time sensitive, so I will try to design questions that, I hope, will enable Mr Coventry and Mr Maneylaws to give res...
Stuart Coventry:
You are correct that PAN 56 and PPG 24 make the application of the guidance clear. The passage that you read out explains why the guidance should be interpre...
Chris Brewerton:
Am I correct in saying that the noise exposure categories should not be used?
Stuart Coventry:
No, I do not think so. We feel that it is appropriate to use them, given the absence of other guidance that defines absolute noise levels. The guidance follo...
Chris Brewerton:
Okay. I have a question about the calculation of the LAeq at our house. As there is no existing noise, I presume that a model was designed, to which paragrap...
Stuart Coventry:
That is our understanding.
Chris Brewerton:
Good. Am I correct in understanding that the calculations of all the noise that those vehicles would be creating at our house were based on a 17-hour period ...
Stuart Coventry:
No, but you are nearly right. The LAeq period runs from 7 o'clock in the morning until 11 o'clock at night, so a 16-hour period was used. Only the trains run...
Chris Brewerton:
Would trains operating outwith that period increase the LAeq?
Stuart Coventry:
They would not increase the LAeq over that period, because there would be a longer period over which to average the noise.
Chris Brewerton:
So the noise level would be pretty much the same.
Stuart Coventry:
It would be broadly the same.
Chris Brewerton:
Good. Is it the case that, when the line becomes operational, the levels of 57.1dB and 60.4dB that you have quoted will not vary much, for an operating perio...
Stuart Coventry:
Those are the levels that we have calculated on the current information and assumptions about the operations. In effect, those are the average levels that wi...
Chris Brewerton:
I was going to ask a question about paragraph 8 on page 3 of SAK/S2/04/4/26—our written evidence—but I have changed my mind.If it were decided that, for safe...
Stuart Coventry:
In the calculations, it had not been assumed that the horn would be used. It is fair to say that if the horn were used, there would be a marginal increase in...
Chris Brewerton:
I understand that; I was just concerned about how much the use of the horn would alter the LAeq. It could again raise the level. I wondered whether that had ...
Stuart Coventry:
It was not part of our assumptions.
Chris Brewerton:
What noise would an air horn create?