New interactive maps launched by the Government now show noise pollution levels in certain towns and cities in England from different levels of transport. * Search for prime property for sale in England A new set of interactive maps have been launched by Defra Minister Jonathan Shaw to combat 'unreasonable noise pollution'. Located online, the maps were produced between 2006 and 2007 and incorporate the noise maps for English airports published in December last year. Covering 23 areas in England, including Blackpool, Brighton, Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Nottingham, the maps cover 80,000 km of roads within urban areas, 28,000 km of major road networks and nearly 5,000 km of railways. They are intended to draw up action plans to reduce unreasonable levels of noise, where practical. The information has to be available to the public under an EU directive but some may find it useful when considering different areas in which to buy property. Environment Minister Jonathan Shaw said: 'Factors like transport and industry are a necessary part of modern life. But we need to look at what further practical steps we can take to make people?s lives more tranquil.' 'The maps provide the most comprehensive snapshot yet of noise in our country, all at the click of a mouse.' Visit the site * Search for prime property for sale in England
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Uniquely unique? The Yorkshire grain silos transformed into a home that's a symphony in glass, steel and curvesAmid the beautiful countryside of North Yorkshire, on the edge of the Castle Howard Estate, The Silos is a property for which the word 'house' simply doesn't cut it. And that's not the only way in which it's made us throw out the dictionary.
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Polluting water executives now face up to two years in prison, but will the new laws make much of a difference?The Government has announced that water company executives caught covering up illegal sewage spills could now be imprisoned for two years, under new laws — but many still have their doubts.
