Noise Insulation Contract for Roads Investment Strategy 2

Highways England is looking to let a contract to manage all aspects of their Noise Insulation Scheme, including reviewing and recommending properties for inclusion, all communications with customers, surveying of properties to specify the requirements, installing of appropriate measures, ensuring the quality and performance of the installation and providing validation evidence to the Client on completion of a property. Provision of high quality customer service is a key requirement and additional information will be required to customers in listed properties. The project only covers residential properties.

100. The objectives of the noise insulation project are to deliver guaranteed reduced noise levels in habitable rooms to levels below those which can cause adverse health effects. This will be achieved through installing upgrades to windows and installation of ventilation.

Highways England wishes to mitigate noise at 1150 eligible properties within Noise Important Areas (NIAs) negatively impacted by the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

These properties will comprise 2 different options:

1000 for the main programme with an anticipated 150 properties as infill from other schemes i.e. where they are not mitigated by barrier or resurfacing schemes.

Where occupiers/owners decline to be included in the scheme or do not respond to scheme communications there will be a list of reserve properties in additional NIAs to achieve the required 1150 properties.

NIAs are identified by Defra under their obligation under the European Noise Directive, and represent the areas containing the population most exposed to noise within England.

The noise insulation project covers the entire Strategic Road Network in England, and is supported by Highways England Noise Stakeholder Group, which includes Defra, Public Health England, the Noise Abatement Society, Environmental Protection UK and the UK Noise Association.

The contract will run for 2 years with the option to extend for a further 2 years if the suppliers performance meets the minimum requirements set out in the contract. The extension can be granted in increments e.g. 1 year.