Tockwith rallycross noise issue

[A20 YBP]

Looks like we will not be going to Tockwith again then after an issue with the noise (according to report in MN). New venue to be Teeside Autodrome when (or if ) it gets MSA approval!
English masters event location and date to be confirmed this week.

Seems the ROC has no luck with venues this year.

[M.Lowe]

I really hope Teesside runs
It will be good to see Rallycross back there again and only 5 mins down the road from me

[chunder]

Noise is always going to be a problem with any new venue

It only takes a few complaints to set the local councils off and there is very little thant can be done from then on.

it is very sad, but in reality is the noise any worse from rallycross or karting or whatever goes on there?

Is it the whole venue or just rallycross?

Why can't these people just get on with their lives? And leave us to get on with ours?

Sad country we live in these days.

[A20 YBP]

According to MN it is just the rallycross that Harrogate council will not sanction, all current motorsport there is ok.

[A Sport Racing]

Thats quite strange as i recieved a phone call from Lionael the other week telling me Tockwith had just gained MSA approval and the circuit had the green light to go ahead from the council I wonder what went wrong,unless i was been mis-led......

[Stephen H]

http://www.facebook.com/v/395136595757

what a stark and depressing contrast to Kerlabo at the weekend, where the local mayor thanked rallycross for coming, and the region contributed to the funding of the event as they saw its value.

[chunder]

As I say before, this is the country we live in

Shame on you people of Tockwith!!! I think we should get a few2 Div 1 cars in the high street, sit them on start mode and let them have it!!

Seriosly, get used to it people, this is way our country is now.

[truelove647]

in the current economic climate the council should be welcoming ANY potential source of income for the area, however these councilors are usually a load of short sighted, boring, busy-bodies with nothing else to do but complain about anything more exciting than scrabble, none of them will have the balls to have their own businesses so will not be interested in the economics of the region in any case, VERY SAD PEOPLE !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stephen H]

I went through all the parish council meetings I could find online, but they did not detail the reason behind the complaint, the parishes were making to the district councils.

I fail to see how track days or karting can carry on and be okay, but rallycross is not!

[MESHGA]

Its a real shame when new venues get stopped by councils and locals but they do have to live there to , so we need to take that on board to sometimes!
The rumour I heard and said about on here a few weeks ago was correct then:

A SPORT RACING ! re the phone call people say anything to keep stuff quiet.

[chasing cars]

There also appears to be a planning issue as well, the owners were issued with a planning contravention notice http://www.harrogate.gov.uk/planning maybe this was to do with the rallycross track & its spectating facilities.

Its a shame if the circuit doesnt happen as the north desperately needs a home for rallycross though I do think arranging a championship where a quarter of its rounds (and its only english rounds)were at a circuit still awaiting for approval was always going to be a gamble.

[AndyS]

Gutted, due to family and work commitments Tockwith was the only events I could get to this year. Echo what everyone else has said it is a sad state of affairs and unfortunatley this is the country we live in today. There is housing nearby but the karting track is closer to it and been there for years and I assume this has not been stopped. Rallycross cars are not that noisey and we are only talking two or three events a year, very selfish in my opinion. It's not like Tockwith were going to be running events every weekend or could have been developed into a bigger facility, in which case the complaints would be quite justified.

The ROC took a bit of risk with it and as has been said they are not enjoying the best of luck with venues this year. As to Teeside, I'm not sure how that will work. From memory it's not that wide and lacks space on and off the track. Unless they own some of the a joining plots there is'nt much on the way of paddock space either.

The North now urgently needs a decent rallycross venue but in the current climate I'm not sure where we are going to find one. The North has always lacked a really top end motor sport facility. Croft has done a superb job with what they have and have built an excellent club venue, but even this is under threat and they seem to have dropped rallycross. The sad thing is if we lived in main land Europe improved or new facilities would be embraced and supported.

[chasing cars]

Agree with you Andy,unfortunately in this country its pretty difficult not to build a track thats either going to be near a community or in a place that is concidered to be of outstanding beauty.

The only way I see it can be done is to ensure you have the locals onside first, this includes keeping them informed of plans, showing them the benefits & making sure the inconvenience is kept to a minimum. I think alot of the problem is this came along with no warning & no consultation,so immediately the locals were offside & probably through rumour & gossip started to fear the worst. I know it means things would take longer & if the opposition continued then maybe a non starter but at least you have done it the proper way.

[AndyS]

Exactly the point, there's got to be a benefit to the community and it's got to be sold to them as such. It's not only finding the site and getting planning it's funding it as well, which in the UK is also currently a fairly difficult problem. These days it's a question of protecting and trying to develop the venues we've got. Still doesn't stop me dreaming! In reality this means trying to get back on Croft or playing the long game and getting the community on side at Tockwith. As a venue it's got a lot of potential and could really be developed into a top rallycross track, plus it's very accessable from the motorway.

[MESHGA]

If only I could find another site like the one i found where rallycross could of been built in to the circuit plans when the new promotors took over !!!
I had visions of a scandinavian type layout there where even pine trees on 3 sides of the site! A service road around the outside and loads of places to spec!!
Its now very well run oval track run by Speedeworth and was ready to listen as well but it wasnt in a persons plan just then so haho it was dropped!

[M.Lowe]

Paddock area at Teesside is a lot bigger and could easily hold service trucks and such.
There was a rally there on Bank Holiday monday gone and there was enough space for two cars together on the track
Years ago when Teesside was Langbaurgh they had a wide start grid and then the normal track so I can't see why it cannot happen again
The loose needs a bit of topping up but it could be a good venue
Untill its tried properley we will never know

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by MESHGA

If only I could find another site like the one i found where rallycross could of been built in to the circuit plans when the new promotors took over !!!
I had visions of a scandinavian type layout there where even pine trees on 3 sides of the site! A service road around the outside and loads of places to spec!!
Its now very well run oval track run by Speedeworth and was ready to listen as well but it wasnt in a persons plan just then so haho it was dropped!

mmm Spedeworth and Pine Trees ...................not Wimbledon, Ipswich, Yarmouth or Arlington............. that just leaves the one I`ve not been too.....Aldershot? I think the short circuit world and rallycross have more in common than "long circuit racing" and would love to see the two sports working together.

[205munchkin]

Speaking as someone who has tested a number of cars round Teeside, including a Rallycross Supercar, I can say that there is no way you could race two supercars on that circuit! It is isnt wide enough!

[AndyS]

Originally Posted by MESHGA

If only I could find another site like the one i found where rallycross could of been built in to the circuit plans when the new promotors took over !!!
I had visions of a scandinavian type layout there where even pine trees on 3 sides of the site! A service road around the outside and loads of places to spec!!
Its now very well run oval track run by Speedeworth and was ready to listen as well but it wasnt in a persons plan just then so haho it was dropped!

Sounds interesting, I've often wondered about using some of the short track ovals but always thought there wouldn't be enough room. As another poster mentioned short track ovals racing and rallycross have things in common and some different style venues wouldn't hurt. Aldershot is not the North but as my sister lives near'ish it would give me an excuse to take my nephews! I'm all for new venues and rallycross going to different parts of the country. As I said before we are probably better off trying to use existing venues in the current climate than establish new ones.

[Adam Walker 36]

It is such a shame about Tockwith! There's so much land in this country that there must be somewhere where it would be ideal?! I drive around and look at all the empty fields in the middle of no-where and think what could be! Lets get a consortium together and build one! haha

[AndyS]

I'm on the road a lot with my job in Yorks and the North East, whilst stuck in a traffic jam in the snow this winter I tried to think of potential sites for a new circuit. I came up with 10 pretty quickly and this was for a full circuit not just rallycross. Just about everyone wasn't viable due to many of the reasons mentioned or cost of having to re locate people on part of the site already. As I say developing existing venues has to be the way to go to for now. Temporary venues could be another consideration, like the one they put together for the London excel masters. Certainly means you could get the sport to a variety of locations and there's plenty of spare land kicking around at the moment. Probably be a nightmare with planning though.

[chunder]

To be honest Andy short ovals suffer even more with noise than normal tracks coz they often run mid week and on Saturday adn Sunday evenings and afternoons.

PLus due to the nature of the racing they have loud PA and the races are more frequent.

I used to live near a kart track and that was a damn pain in the arse to be honest, those things sound awful droning round, but i can stand bikes and stuff.

Short oval racing is easier in ways coz a provate landowner can simply make a track if he can buy the planning permission. It doesnt have to be as heavily policed and licenced and doesnt take years to build, yet we ahve had very few new tracks recently. Most are either speedway tracks or new ventures.

Hard to fit a rallycross track in the venue, they tried it at Brafield and it didnt work.

I think to be honest, unless a track is in the middle of nowhere its pretty much impossible to get it past a local council.

To give you an idea, at Brafield once, they didnt have a meet one Sat night, but were having regular complaints from some artist type nearby. So they invited the noise police down this empty night, turned on the lights and never started an engine.

Sure enough the idiot complained!! Game over.

You have to play them at thier rules!!

[AndyS]

All a bit of nightmare then! I must admit was surprised at the suggestion of running at an oval because of the space issues. Anybody come up with any suggestions for new venues that you think might not be noise affected? How practical is creating temporary circuits and any ideas on locations? Shame MSV don't seem keen on rallycross, I'd love to see Cadwell running again, understand changes there would make it difficult though. Wasn't there a track planned for Castle Combe at some point? And what happened to Anglesey and the old Swindon circuit?

[bigdick1977]

Swindon closed because some 'greeny' found an old footpath on a map that ran through the track. He then complained that it couldn't be followed because the track was in the way. End of Swindon rallycross.

[MESHGA]

My plan was to used the large area to the back of the site as well as incorporating the oval area.
This area had banks with loose and concrete areas already there , but there could of been a noise issue here to as there had to be a large noice wall at one side .
I was in Contact with Spedeworth but it was at the time We was mid build at Excel so it got put to one side and then later dropped
I can say it wasnt easy building Excel track with many months of planning/meetings etc but Peter and myself along with the motorsport show organisers proved it can be done
All we need is enough financial backup and big crouds to justify building one off tracks as im sure you all realise it cost loads !