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Conclusion-

To me Greenbank Crescent appeared to be the worst affected street I have seen, and the responses from residents there confirm that belief. It was in Greenbank Crescent that the residents were most upset and passionately against the development. This is understandable, and there are two main reasons for this. One is that that the street and houses are right up against the barriers, there is no nature strip or land reserve to shelter them at all. Another is that residents feel they were not given an opportunity to have any say or input into something that affects them so dramatically and that what they were told was going to happen was not always what actually happened.

At first Wheeler Street and Forster Court seem to be as adversely affected as Greenbank Crescent, however residents responses do not confirm this. Residents here seem to be more accepting of the barriers, and less upset about what has happened. There are a number of possible reasons for this. One is that between Forster Court and the barrier there is quite a wide land reserve. There are also a lot more trees to hide the barrier. A third reason is that at the end of Wheeler Street there is an underpass, this means residents still have access to the other side of the tollway. Unlike Greenbank Crescent, there are no dwellings in Wheeler Street which look out directly into the noise barrier.

Residents in Lennon Street were hardly upset by the noise barriers at all. This is strange because here the barriers are high, not set back from the street or properties at all and painted a horrible bright yellow. The only explanation I can find for their calm attitude towards the barriers is that as tenants in a block of flats the land does not belong to them and so if the street is degraded it is no great loss to them. Many could be short term residents who just want a place to sleep, so the barriers could be very advantageous as their flats are now quieter, and their rent a little cheaper.

The responses of the residents of Delhi Court were very similar to those of Wheeler Street and Forsters Court. This is understandable because in a lot of ways these streets are very similar. Delhi Court also has a reasonable land reserve between itself and the barriers. Residents here have also benefited from an upgraded and extended bike track as part of the City Link project.

On the subject of the houses belonging to City Link, the City Link Authority claims they are currently arranging for the houses to be sold on the open market.