Circuit Noise - Environment Impact etc

[diddy100]

It appears racing circuits are now being closely looked at re the impact on the environment - noise etc. I hear that residents close to Brands and Snetterton are starting to voice concerns, and this has appeared to delay the planned redevelopment on Snet. It appears we suddenly have a lot of NIMBY's close to circuits who are kicking up the fuss. Circuits have been around for many years and it appears to be the new people to the area that are leading these complaints !!
Just wondering what the feeling is around the other circuits in the UK, if this is starting to spread.

[Eddy V]

Don't worry, or rather do worry. It is everywhere at the moment. Those dear old Nimby's are against basically everything.
Even at Spa in Belgium all hell broke loose last year. Zolder has been in trouble for 20 years.
Nürburgring, Hockenheim, Zandvoort, Assen, Sachsenring, Salzburgring, just to mention a few. The list is long and keeps growing.

One thing is sure, they are aginst everything: railroads, motorways, airfields.

Me, I'm against Nimby's. Am I one myself now?

[terence]

Should this be re-titled ,Those who want NIMBYS to shut up because they are making to much noise and they are disturbing those who want to pursue a hobby[Human Rights?].Perhaps I will ,move to Spa after all

[Al Weyman]

Wait till the enviromentalists latch on to petrol we use going around in circles and our carbon footprint etc etc, its all in the news at the moment and its only a matter of time before they pick on us. I am not sure at all if this sport has much of a long term future as things stand and we really need to start looking at longer wearing tyres and alternate fuels.

[kipper]

I think the problem is that people are more willing to complain and object to things - be it racing circuits, pubs and churches. As for how this will impact on motor racing circuits in the future, I have no idea although I suspect that it is a situation that is unlikely to get better.

[Al Weyman]

Yes because this stupid misguided government in an effort to stop anti social behaviour and all night parties etc but worded it wrong with no exceptions so the nimbys now have the tools to do the job and they know it!

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by diddy100

It appears racing circuits are now being closely looked at re the impact on the environment - noise etc. I hear that residents close to Brands and Snetterton are starting to voice concerns, and this has appeared to delay the planned redevelopment on Snet. It appears we suddenly have a lot of NIMBY's close to circuits who are kicking up the fuss. Circuits have been around for many years and it appears to be the new people to the area that are leading these complaints !!
Just wondering what the feeling is around the other circuits in the UK, if this is starting to spread.

Castle Combe has that problem for years only last year the circuit last its planning permisson to run events over 108dba so we said goodbye to the Brit GT/f3 meeting.
The local council had five compliants about the noise level! just goes to show the power of the minority.
The only plus was they the council did not have a problem with events that run at 108dba it was the two weekends that where over that caused the problems so really speaking that's kissed goodbye anychance of any international events in the future as most run at over 110 dba!

Shame that!

[chunder]

Listen people, we really should enjoy our motorsport while we can, coz I can see that in my lifetime the whole thing is going to be very very heavily policed and banned in many areas.

The green police have their point really when you think about it, I knwo there are a hundred ways to save far mroe for our world than stopping people racing cars, but its a VERY easy fix and it would gain massive popularity with a huge section of the population.
Can you see football or criscket fans moaning if we lost all the race tracks, no, and theirs sports are far more popular (allegedly!!)

This is the biggest crisis facing world motorsport and the people in charge at Usac,SCCA,FIA etc have a gigantic responsibility to make sure its handled properly.

[Al Weyman]

I have read a Jumbo Jet taxing to the end of the runway uses as much fuel as used in an entire club motor racing event (about 400 gallons?) yet no one is gonna stop that are they. The use of Bio Fuels would help get them off our backs.

[Andrew Kitson]

From an enviroment point of view in the UK, are they going to ban football too? Far more people than we have watching our sport, have to travel in their cars, coaches, buses and trains to go and watch premiership and other league matches week in week out. The fuel they use surely massively outweighs what we use to get there and for the actual racing. How many people think of that?

Despite this, the biggest concern could be, will it become unfashionable for companies/sponsors to be seen to be backing a sport that is perceived on the outside as environmentally unfriendly? Therefore getting those sponsors (hard enough already) could be near impossible, would companies risk getting involved? Therefore no funding.

The answer has to be green fuels and the FIA/MSA getting the message across that we are not unfriendly and we actually help development of greener vehicles. Audi has already proved that racing cars can be almost silent with their Le Mans winner. However for me the day racing becomes too quiet is time to find interest in something else - afterall it's the noise isn't it!

[Asp]

Alternative fuels is a good point Al, and I agree more should be done to encourage this. And this is just a much to ensure we are seen to be making an effort as actually reducing the "carbon footprint" of the sport.
Thinking OTOH, perhaps clubs could offer a reduced entry fee for people with "green" cars? (thus helping to offset any conversion costs too)
Maybe someone could arrange a national "green" championship. Obviously it will take time for an separate race to become a viable option with enough cars, but somehow everyone who enters a green car in a race could score points based on their performance to create an overall "champion" at the end of the year.
I do think things need to be done to encourage people to race with environmentally friendly fuels, so that motorsport becomes "greener".

[Andrew Hornsey]

[QUOTE=chunder]
Can you see football or criscket fans moaning if we lost all the race tracks, no, and theirs sports are far more popular (allegedly!!)
QUOTE]

And what about the petrol football supporters use driving to see their favourite games.

Far more in one weekend than the whole year of motorsport, no doubt!

Andy

[gixxer]

They could ban football on the noise issue if things started to get really petty.

But this issue with noise has been going on since the early 80's for castle Combe so its nothing new,its just the law is now sitting up and listening more to the minority and like chunder says it can only get worse

[chunder]

My point really was that we are fighting a losing battle anyway coz the minority aspect of uour sport, the only thing in our favour is the sheer level of employment the sport creats in the UK,
Thius situation is totally overlooked by most people as it is the only growth engineering business in the UK I would think. The rest of them are all shipped out to China and the East for fat cats profits to stay afloat!

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by chunder

My point really was that we are fighting a losing battle anyway coz the minority aspect of uour sport, the only thing in our favour is the sheer level of employment the sport creats in the UK,
Thius situation is totally overlooked by most people as it is the only growth engineering business in the UK I would think. The rest of them are all shipped out to China and the East for fat cats profits to stay afloat!

In Combes case that did not matter the circuit provides the local economy with around 2 million pounds worth of revenue over the year[pubs,hotels,BandB's etc] even local charity's and schools benefit from the carboot sales they hold yet the NIMBY's could not put up with just 2 weekends a year with loud noise pity really

[diddy100]

One of the "NIMBYS" is now looking at opening up a bed and breakfast - guess where the bulk of the business will come from !!!!

[Al Weyman]

Well thats a result is'nt it because he will be firmly off the case now, may even change sides!

[Eddy V]

Don't be too sure about that Al.
We had a similar story at Zolder many years ago. One of the women who was always complaining did the same, she even rented out her own bedroom for the bigger events.
On the monday after the event she complained as usual about the noise.

[davemk7]

I knew when i read the title i shouldn't open it, but i did. tbh this really depressing. Today in the world we live in this is the only sport that actually has a point, a reason for existing.

It's really depressing.

[gixxer]

It is when these flaming idiots ruin the sport you love,but its nothing new for the likes of castle combe so its something us die hard combe supporters have put up with since the early days of motorsport at castle combe.

[dj choc ice]

simple answer, dont like loud noise etc etc, dont live next to a race track if people dont have the intelligence to research the area they are moving to i.e next to an airport, major road route or busy railway line then dont move there.

when i stayed at a b & b for the silverstone 1000km in 2005 the lady who owned it said they can hear the loud race meetings in towcester, and at night i could very very faintly hear the night test session at silverstone for the LMS cars, but when you closed the window you could not hear it.

imo they just have nothing better to do but complain, whinge about todays youth saying how much of a problem we are, then go on to complain about motorsport noise, global warming, the sky falling because of the GW word.

personally if racing stopped at say silverstone, spa, nurburgring or donny because of noise i would punch the person(s) responsible, my message is dont pick on what people love if it is not doing any harm to anything, afterall hasnt silverstone, donny, spa and so on been there for a good 70 years or so now?

and back then people didnt mind it.

[Al Weyman]

I blame this current government for a lot of this. In their usual bumbling way they introduced a law to stop people annoying their neighbours playing loud music and partying all night but the wording meant that it was open day against anyone making a bit no matter what it was and this is not what was intended (IMHO).

[AU N EGL]

[quote=Andrew Hornsey]

Originally Posted by chunder

Can you see football or criscket fans moaning if we lost all the race tracks, no, and theirs sports are far more popular (allegedly!!)

or if footie and cricket fans could not cheer when their team scorded or won because of NOISE laws

[Al Weyman]

I live about a mile or so from Watford stadium (a Premier divison side) and when the wind is in the right direction I can here the crowd. Am I bothered, am I hell, same as there is a riding stable over the back of me, thise ruddy horse whinnying can be very annoying (joking) and they can stink a bit if the wind is in the wrong direction but hey thats what you expect living in the edge of town and you accept it. In the summer we get the light aircraft from Elstree doing circuit and bumps and turn above my house, why is it incidentky that these are not silenced because they can be a bit noisy but seem to be excempt.

[devon kev]

I would love to live near a circuit, just think of the money i' save on fuel over a season