TRAFFIC noise from the A40, which passes by the outskirts of Wheatley, is becoming increasingly annoying for residents in the area, says the parish council.

Council chairman Janet Carr wants the county council to resurface three miles of the road and build noise barriers to stop sound travelling.

As part of its campaign, the parish council has begun consulting with residents in its monthly newsletter and is looking to gain support from other parish councils in nearby Holton and Forest Hill.

Mrs Carr said: “We realise that we can’t stop the traffic, but there are measures that can be taken to improve people’s quality of life.

“There is a roar of traffic from about 5am until late in the evening and we want something to be done about this.”

The parish council is proposing that the A40 from the park-and-ride at Sandhills to just past Wheatley is re-surfaced and barriers put up along the stretch, to the Fairfax area of the village.

Mrs Carr added: “The stretch of road we are talking about is inferior to the rest of the A40 and re-surfacing it would definitely make the road a lot quieter.”

Holton Parish Council clerk Sonja Barter said it was keen to support their neighbours in Wheatley, as Holton was also affected by the problem.

She said: “The A40 goes through Holton. You can hear the rumble of the traffic and there are some properties that are badly affected.

“We have notified residents and are joining with other parish councils to see if we can get something done about this.”

No one was available for comment from Forest Hill Parish Council, but Wheatley Parish Council clerk Gareth Morris said he had spoken with its members and they had offered the campaign their support.

Mrs Carr said the next stage of the campaign would follow a consultation process between parish councils and residents, and see official letters sent to the county council calling for the work.

Oxfordshire County Council’s transport boss Cllr Ian Hudspeth said: “The county council has limited money to spend on roads schemes. This idea from the people of Wheatley will be assessed along with all of the other requests we receive.”

ckeearney@oxfordmail.co.uk