In a 49-minute debate Tory-dominated Wokingham Borough Council resolved to support a campaign “spearheaded by John Redwood and residents” urging the motorway group to put mitigating measures inbetween junctions three and 12.

The debate was extended beyond the usual half-hour limit after the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition objected to the Conservative MP being named.

Prue Bray, leader of the opposition party said: “We all want noise mitigation for the M4 and those of us with the M4 in our wards have been battling for it for a long time.

“So how sad this motion focuses not on working together to get something done about it but on praising the local Conservative MP.

“Don’t get me wrong our local MP should show an interest in noise mitigation for the M4. A second extraordinary coincidence is that John Redwood’s professed interest in this subject comes shortly after Clive Jones, the Lib Dem candidate, took an interest.” A Freedom of Information request submitted to the Department of Transport (DFT) by the Lib Dems found there had been no meetings since January 2014 between DFT ministers and Mr Redwood to discuss the M4 smart motorway project between Junctions 10 and 11.

Current plans for the M4 smart motorway include low noise tarmac for four lanes of the motorway. The Highways Agency is being asked to put in an acoustic fence and earth bund between junctions 10 and 11.

Hansard indicates that Mr Redwood spoke in the commons about noise mitigation between Junction 8/9 and 12 of the M4 in early 2004.

A spokesman for the MP said he had been making appropriate representations to official bodies on behalf of his constituents.

In 2015 he or his office have made six communications with various bodies and the matter has been raised in the borough council as well, said the spokesman.

The most recent letter on March 17 asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to extend the areas that would be receiving noise protection.

The upgrade plans for the M4 include converting the hard shoulder into a running lane between junctions four and 11 and widening bridges to allow the extra carriageway.