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!

[275 GTB-4]

I was woken this morning around 7 am to the sound of a Jumbo Jet on short final....trouble is...it was in a quiet suburb...it was a mobile carpet cleaning company doin its stuff...if that noise level had been comin from a race track there woulda been howls of protest

[dj choc ice]

people complain about noise when its a permamnent fixture, i.e an airport, race track, pub even.

these busy bodies know they can get the leg over because the circuit owners just give in to avoid the paper work, tbh every race car imo should have straight pipes because motorsport is an experience, an assault on the sense's, the sight and the sound of a porsche 911 GT3 RSR, a F1 car, a zytek 06S or 04S or an aston martin DBR9.

all are amazing sounds, they muffle your hearing with distortion but thats the beauty of it, because it leaves you in awe over what man can achieve with 4 wheels, an internal combustion engine and other mechanical parts.

[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.

[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

[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 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".

[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]

It appears the Nimby's are at it again near Snetterton. A chain of letters appearing in the letters section of our local paper - EDP. Strong support for Snett with several replies saying they must have realised that if they move next to a racing circuit there will be noise
They are also now objecting to the extended entertainment license for Snett being submitted

[Stacy]

Originally Posted by diddy100

It appears the Nimby's are at it again near Snetterton. A chain of letters appearing in the letters section of our local paper - EDP. Strong support for Snett with several replies saying they must have realised that if they move next to a racing circuit there will be noise

That's really the bewildering stupidity at play in these situations. I have at various points lived under the Heathrow flight path, and nearby Ascot race course. Neither of these were exactly hidden away when I took up residence, and complaints about planes or horses/crowds would quite rightly be laughed out of court if I'd put them forward.

For some reason however, it's OK to put forward the same argument to racing circuits, and not only is it allowed airtime by the numpties in local office, it gets traction.

Absolutely sodding ridiculous. I have no truck with it whatsoever.

S.

[diddy100]

Agree - the local council have issue a noise abatement order on Snett that is currently being in appeal but on the other hand the local council are trying to develop a motor sport centre of excellence on the the A11 with Snetterton the centre of development.
Its fun here today with the A1GP cars testing ( I live less than a mile from the circuit ) !! - I love the noise but I am sure the NINBYs will their tape recorders out again sending the tapes to the council.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by diddy100

It appears the Nimby's are at it again near Snetterton. A chain of letters appearing in the letters section of our local paper - EDP. Strong support for Snett with several replies saying they must have realised that if they move next to a racing circuit there will be noise
They are also now objecting to the extended entertainment license for Snett being submitted

It is just so sad about some ppl who have nothing better to do..

[diddy100]

The anti Snett people have now posted a note through all the houses nearby giving people the telephone number of the council's environment dept and asking people to call and complain about the noise whenever they hear a car or bike going around the circuit !!! Some people are now complaining about everything !! - recent school fete, and the local village social club that is the only amenity in the village. we are having "fun" discussions with these "NIMBY's" at the moment.

[CEEDEEBEE]

Too many half-truths and misinformation circulating. Most of us Snetterton 'Nimbys' have had it in our backyard for up to 50 years - without
complaining. Now we get the screech of unsilenced cars and bikes 7 days a week, up to 11 hours a day. This is unreasonable. We have two schools, churches and a children's hospice in the area. Complainants have only been complaining since MotorSport took over and started running the track 7 days a week. Diddy is well sheltered where he lives. It is much easier to ignore the facts knowing you readers are of like mind.
By the way, the idea of motor racing is to win - not to see who can make the most noise.

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by CEEDEEBEE

Too many half-truths and misinformation circulating. Most of us Snetterton 'Nimbys' have had it in our backyard for up to 50 years - without
complaining. Now we get the screech of unsilenced cars and bikes 7 days a week, up to 11 hours a day. This is unreasonable. We have two schools, churches and a children's hospice in the area. Complainants have only been complaining since MotorSport took over and started running the track 7 days a week. Diddy is well sheltered where he lives. It is much easier to ignore the facts knowing you readers are of like mind.
By the way, the idea of motor racing is to win - not to see who can make the most noise.

Like Al i have to agree if the circuit is running 7 days a week 11 hrs a day that is too excessive everybody is entitled to a break.

To be honest i don't know how i would feel living next to a track i keep saying i'd love it but i suppose its all down to what the db level during the week is,where as castle Combe has only 10 meetings a year which all are now at 108db the local council is happy with that its when the Brit GT/F3 raced there at 118db the problems got worse.
Having said that the complaints about the noise have been around since the 70's so its nothing new to us.
I'd rather the circuit ran at 108db as this means it can continue but just means we won't see the likes of the BTCC and other inetrnatinal events which is a shame,the noise of the cars is appealing to us watching but maybe its time to take note the NIMBY brigade seem to be getting stronger how long will it be before other circuits have to put up with the same restrictions that combe have been handed with.