Acoustic cameras could be brought in to catch and fine noisy vehicles

Motorcyclists and car drivers revving through Shropshire’s town centres could soon be slapped with fines, if calls for a trial of acoustic cameras win the backing of councillors.

A motion has been put forward by Shropshire Council’s opposition Liberal Democrat group that would see the authority bring in monitors to catch vehicles emitting excessive noise.

The group says the plan would ensure motorists drive more considerately, improving the lives of nearby residents and creating a more welcoming atmosphere for visitors.

The motion will be tabled on behalf of the group by Shrewsbury councillor Nat Green, whose Quarry and Coton Hill ward includes the town centre river loop.

He said: “It is well known that excessive noise is damaging to both physical and mental health.

“It also is degrading to the environment and general amenity of an area.”

The proposals come after the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a pilot scheme in 2019 to install the devices at seven locations across the country.

The government said at the time that it planned to roll-out the technology to other locations if the trial proved successful, but progress is thought to have been delayed by the pandemic.

At least one other council – Kensington and Chelsea in London – has introduced its own cameras.

Councillor Green said: “In recent years there have been successful trials of acoustic cameras to catch motorists and motorcycle riders with vehicles that emit excessive noise.

“The threshold set in the trials in London was 80 decibels.

“Emergency vehicles and otherwise law-abiding heavy goods vehicles would not suffer fines.”

The motion asks the council’s leadership to look into implementing a pilot scheme, and then consider a further roll-out across the county based on its results.

The motion will go before the full council at a meeting next Thursday, January 13.