NOISY vehicles are becoming an increasingly worse problem for rural residents.

That was the message from Cllr Hugh Lumby at a Winchester City Council meeting on July 8.

The Upper Meon Valley Ward representative is asking for strict enforcement across the district.

He said: "Speeding and noisy vehicles, including motorbikes with modified exhaust pipes, is a longstanding issue on our rural roads and blights the lives of many.

"The environmental concerns are apparent. The problem has recently become particularly bad. However, technology is increasingly available to measure noise emissions and identify the vehicle causing emissions.

"Other councils elsewhere in the country have been investigating the use of public spaces protection orders and community protection notices with schemes being trialled.

"The powers being used are available to the council."

Cllr Lumby would like to see acoustic cameras set up and said they could self-financing and even generate a surplus.

"Will the council investigate the use of these powers and consider proposals for the use of PSPOs and/or CPNs together with the deployment of appropriate technology to help tackle the problem of antisocial behaviour on our rural roads?”

Cabinet member for built environment and wellbeing Jackie Porter, who is also a county councillor, said the problem has to be solved with the police as it is a legal issue.

She said:"The council’s Community Safety team work closely with Hampshire Constabulary to ensure a partnership approach is taken in respect of local enforcement action.

"Enforcement powers through PSPO’s and CPN’s alone can be a drawn out process and is normally delivered after the event often in the form of a fixed penalty notice with no endorsement on the license.

"The District Commander is keen to work with district councils to explore local preventative measures such as the use of average speed cameras that already come with supporting legislation to prevent the use of speed and associated noise."

She added that Chief Inspector Jon Turton is aware of other discussions about supporting technology to measure emissions but believes wider discussion with the Home Office and Road Policing Unit is needed to provide a joined up solution for speeding and noisy vehicles.