Castle Combe under further threat?i

[corozin]

Hi all,
I received an invite tonight via email to sign an online petition objecting to what is (apprently) a further noise abatement threat/complaint against my favourite race circuit - Castle Combe.

Does anyone on here know if there is a new threat to the circuit all over again from the NIMBYs? It's only 18 months ago we went through all of this.

Can anyone confirm one way or the other?

Thanks
John

[Stu R]

it's an old one. Spotted someone asking on the CC forum, to which the guy who wrote the original petition some time ago confirmed it hails back to the F3

Edited by Stu R on Tuesday 27th November 22:10

[RobM77]

NIMBY would apply if they were building a new circuit there. In actual fact it's been raced on regularly since 1950. Anyone who moves to live next to a racing circuit and then complains about the noice isn't a NIMBY, they're stupid

[CaptiV8ted]

Like the turkeys that buy a house next to Heathrow and then drip because there's load of planes flying in and out. F**k my tall hat!

[kevin ritson]

CaptiV8ted said:

Like the turkeys that buy a house next to Heathrow and then drip because there's load of planes flying in and out. F**k my tall hat!

And then go on holiday. Bet it's not by boat...

[stockhatcher]

RobM77 said:

NIMBY would apply if they were building a new circuit there. In actual fact it's been raced on regularly since 1950. Anyone who moves to live next to a racing circuit and then complains about the noice isn't a NIMBY, they're stupid

whilst this is undoubtedly true, a small part of me might have some sympthay when an unscruplous vender responds to the question - 'is it noisey next to a race track' with the reply, well they only run races on 12 weekends of the year....

the nimbys complain when they realise that they also run trackdays on every other day of the year... i think it is this that will kill rockingham

[skwdenyer]

stockhatcher said:

RobM77 said:

NIMBY would apply if they were building a new circuit there. In actual fact it's been raced on regularly since 1950. Anyone who moves to live next to a racing circuit and then complains about the noice isn't a NIMBY, they're stupid

whilst this is undoubtedly true, a small part of me might have some sympthay when an unscruplous vender responds to the question - 'is it noisey next to a race track' with the reply, well they only run races on 12 weekends of the year....

the nimbys complain when they realise that they also run trackdays on every other day of the year... i think it is this that will kill rockingham

The age-old difficulty is that receiving planning permission for something (Rockingham) is all well and good, but that does not override other legislation on noise nuisance. That said, presumably planting an awful lot of trees which would quickly grow very tall would have been a wise decision by Rockingham at the outset...

As for the Combe, if the usage pattern hasn't changed markedly over, say, the last 10 years or so then I believe there would be a good defence in court.

[micron750]

skwdenyer said:

stockhatcher said:

RobM77 said:

NIMBY would apply if they were building a new circuit there. In actual fact it's been raced on regularly since 1950. Anyone who moves to live next to a racing circuit and then complains about the noice isn't a NIMBY, they're stupid

whilst this is undoubtedly true, a small part of me might have some sympthay when an unscruplous vender responds to the question - 'is it noisey next to a race track' with the reply, well they only run races on 12 weekends of the year....

the nimbys complain when they realise that they also run trackdays on every other day of the year... i think it is this that will kill rockingham

The age-old difficulty is that receiving planning permission for something (Rockingham) is all well and good, but that does not override other legislation on noise nuisance. That said, presumably planting an awful lot of trees which would quickly grow very tall would have been a wise decision by Rockingham at the outset...

As for the Combe, if the usage pattern hasn't changed markedly over, say, the last 10 years or so then I believe there would be a good defence in court.

That didn't make the slightest bit of differance in the last court case bearing in mind only 5 of the local nimby brigade complained.
But yes the threat is an old one, thankfully the local council did see some of the light in agreeing the running race meetings at 108dba would not be considered as a nuisance it was the international events which most of the compliants were about as they started at 120dba then ran at 114dba during the final f3/gt meeting.I still belive if you move near a race circuit then that's your problem your gonna have to expect some sort of noise at some time or other during the week or weekends

[Dan Friel]

The loss of the Combe F3 / GT meeting can be directly blamed on the Raves of the early 90's. That's why this specific environmental noise legalisation was brought in, and that's what was used by the 5 or so locals..

As others had said, it's a petition of 2005 and Combe isn't under threat.

[Miss Pitstop]

I try and get to most events at Combe, and IMHO, the only people who can legitimately complain about the noise are people who lived their before the circuit was opened.

If you buy a house next to a school, you must be wide eyed enough to realise that the playing fields will get used on weekends, and the same principle applies to a circuit - you should have the forsight to see that the circuit has other functions and events as well as the race dates.

The arguement that it is busier now than it was years ago doesn't stand up - they should have thought about that before buying property there. Nothing stands still in this world - sorry.

End of rant.

[Dan Friel]

It was all to do with the F3 / GT cars being louder (which they are - considerably) than normal racing activities. That was the only complaint used in this case.

A real shame as the F3 / GT meetings were excellent, and Combe had invested much cash in bringing the circuit upto spec.

[garycat]

These nimbys should try living in Hever Ave for a while.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&ge...

[Don]

garycat said:

These nimbys should try living in Hever Ave for a while.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&ge...

No need to pay to spectate, just sit in your back garden - but only on days they use the Grand Prix circuit!

In some ways I'd love one of those houses. I can understand why it might not be quite so great on race days, though. In summer, having a BBQ, deafened...

[Bellly]

Cannot understand the legal position regarding complaining about noise when you buy a property next to a race track [or airport etc] and then start complaining about the noise. Assuming that there is no significant change in noise levels, surely you should forfeit any right to complain.
Just another part of the UK that make no sense!

As for Castle Combe, they must take the award for the most friendly Circuit in the UK, raced there this year and our sponsors were looked after 110%, the staff could not be more helpful. Lets hope they keep going for years and continue with the fantastic service. MSV should have some lessons from them!

[AlexS]

One of my friends fathers lives in the area and is friendly with one of the local councillors. Apparently much of the locals annoyance with the circuit stems from the increased traffic from the race weekends. However, you cannot complain about this, so instead they went after the noise angle.

[Bellly]

Makes sense about the traffic, the roads around the circuit are not really upto 'loads of traffic'
it is not too easy to get HGV's and 40' motorhomes into the circuit.
Lets hope they keep going for year to come!

[skwdenyer]

Bellly]Cannot understand the legal position regarding complaining about noise when you buy a property next to a race track [or airport etc said:

and then start complaining about the noise. Assuming that there is no significant change in noise levels, surely you should forfeit any right to complain.
Just another part of the UK that make no sense!

The legal position is that there is an absolute offence of causing a noise nuisance. The standard changes over time. Therefore it is quite possible to fall foul of it by continuing to do what you've always done.

However Councils seldom prosecute except where there are complaints, which is where the "new neighbours" come in. They do (sadly) sometimes have a legal leg to stand on.

All these attacks can be defended-against, but it often takes some very smart lawyers and their associated high fees to pull it off. Not fair, but there we are.

[micron750]

skwdenyer said:

Bellly]Cannot understand the legal position regarding complaining about noise when you buy a property next to a race track [or airport etc said:

and then start complaining about the noise. Assuming that there is no significant change in noise levels, surely you should forfeit any right to complain.
Just another part of the UK that make no sense!

The legal position is that there is an absolute offence of causing a noise nuisance. The standard changes over time. Therefore it is quite possible to fall foul of it by continuing to do what you've always done.

However Councils seldom prosecute except where there are complaints, which is where the "new neighbours" come in. They do (sadly) sometimes have a legal leg to stand on.

All these attacks can be defended-against, but it often takes some very smart lawyers and their associated high fees to pull it off. Not fair, but there we are.

The cost of appealing against the ruling was the reason why the brit gt/f3 has not gone back the circuit owners decided that 100k would be better spent inproving the facities than taking a chance of losing the appeal again afterall motorsport can continue at the circuit at national level.

The 100grand was well spent on a new pitwall and fencing it stopped simon norris's evo entering the pitlane when it rolled coming out of camp it what was the biggest shunt of the year money well spent in my view

[kenthardy]

stockhatcher said:

the nimbys complain when they realise that they also run trackdays on every other day of the year... i think it is this that will kill rockingham

Yes quite right - I know several people near Brands who are VERY pro racing but it's the summer evening intrusion from track days getting ever later as JP goes for his pound of flesh of usage.

Moving next door and putting up with noise is one thing and weekends are expected - but these pro racing residents get less respite now and most of them have been there since use at Brands was much less then it is now.

Combe is very limited in overall use by comparison - like Thruxton who also have difficult neighbours - but at Brands there is something on ALL the time and the old tradition of a quiet day on Monday after a big event on Sunday seems to have gone by the way (victim of an gentleman's agreement not being written down)

The potential problem here is in alienating your supporters...................