RESIDENTS living near the A419 have been complaining about noise from the road for years.

The Highways Agency built wooden barriers along parts of it in 2009, but there are still gaps.

Now councillors Dale Heenan and Richard Hurley (both Con, Covingham and Dorcan) are pitching the idea of filling the gaps with solar sound barriers, which are sound barriers combined with solar panels.

The theory is the electricity generated eventually pays off the cost on installing and maintaining the barriers.

The project would focus on the west side of the A419, running past Liden, Covingham and Stratton, from the Commonhead roundabout to the White Hart roundabout.

Coun Heenan, who is also the cabinet member for strategic planning and sustainability, said: “The idea behind this campaign is simple – let’s combine solar panels with a sound barrier to build a solar sound barrier.

“The sale of the electricity generated by the panels could cover the cost of building and maintaining the sound barrier. A win-win situation for everyone.

“This approach has been successfully implemented across France, Germany and Italy. However, it has never been built before in the UK.

“When I first came across the idea on holiday it made sense.”

Coun Heenan said he had been laying the foundations of the campaign over the last six months.

He said the Highways Agency had agreed for a group of people to look at the feasibility, and he had also gained the support of Swindon’s two MPs.

He is now hoping businesses and residents will get behind the campaign.

He said the Highways Agency, Swindon Council and the Government did not have the money for the project, so a key challenge would be to establish the costs and identify other funding sources.

“We’re looking at the moment for moral support to say this is a good idea,” he said.

“And when we have responses from people over the next couple of months, we can contact everyone to say there’s a clear desire to see the sound barriers happen. Let’s organise ourselves into a working group and work up a business case.”

Coun Hurley said: “Noise from the A419 is an issue which is regularly raised by residents when we knock on doors, but it is probably the hardest for us to do something about.

“Every year the A419 has more and more traffic, yet we know the Highways Agency will not fund any further work on the sound barriers which were built in 2009.”

Contact Coun Heenan by emailing dale.heenan@googlemail.com or calling 01793 613189 or 07792 755227.