RE: Spa Gets Official Reprieve
Thursday 19th November 2009
Reasons to love Spa, number 2,547...The Belgian government has granted Spa Francorchamps a provisional operating licence to continue its motorsport activities until 2011.
The licence will hopefully be extended beyond that, but only on the basis of significantly reduced noise levels - the circuit will be subjected to a wide-ranging noise pollution study.
Spa Gets Official Reprieve
Historic Spa Francorchamps gets licence to operate until 2011
Reasons to love Spa, number 2,547...
The historic circuit's permission to run motorsport activities was suspended in September, after an environmental impact study undertaken by the circuit failed to satisfy the noise complaints of nearby residents.
Spa has been operating on a temporary licence since then - after a direct appeal by circuit owner Pierre-Alain Thibaut to the Belgian Council of State - but the threat of closure has been ever-present.
That changed on Monday when Wallonian minister for regional planning and development, Philippe Henry, granted the circuit a licence to operate until March 2011.
Discussion
Frimley111R said:
Excellent news but can't anyone apply common sense to this stupid law about noise polution, i.e. If you move near something noisy you can't complain about it - its your fault!
What if you've lived there all your life but the circuit is being used more and more, for trackdays during the week for example, so that the noise pollution is a more common occurance ?
boo the noise at Spa during with the old F1 from one of the support races to the 6 hour a few years ago is something I'll never forget.Nick M said:
Frimley111R said:
Excellent news but can't anyone apply common sense to this stupid law about noise polution, i.e. If you move near something noisy you can't complain about it - its your fault!
What if you've lived there all your life but the circuit is being used more and more, for trackdays during the week for example, so that the noise pollution is a more common occurance ?
I've always thought it would be cheaper to offer to relocate the complainers to the other side of town in a nicer house. Then sell the old house with a caviat about the noise. The curcuit would be down by the difference in costs of houses, the complainer gets a nicer house for free away from the noise. Probably a cheaper solution than building sound banks and fences etc.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
Galileo said:
I've always thought it would be cheaper to offer to relocate the complainers to the other side of town in a nicer house. Then sell the old house with a caviat about the noise. The curcuit would be down by the difference in costs of houses, the complainer gets a nicer house for free away from the noise. Probably a cheaper solution than building sound banks and fences etc.
Just a thought.
Cheaper to hire a couple of discreet snipers I reckon Just a thought.
Nick M said:
Frimley111R said:
Excellent news but can't anyone apply common sense to this stupid law about noise polution, i.e. If you move near something noisy you can't complain about it - its your fault!
What if you've lived there all your life but the circuit is being used more and more, for trackdays during the week for example, so that the noise pollution is a more common occurance ?sprinter1050 said:
Judging by that aerial shot you wouldn't exactly say the circuit was surrounded by housing would you ?
Maybe them Walloons have big ears?
No, don't be daft, that's elephants! Maybe them Walloons have big ears?
(Good news BTW, but I agree with the comments about relocating*/shooting the complainers)
* Kamchatka, maybe?!? Worked for Stalin...
great news, even if it is only temporary - it gives some hope that a common sense decision will prevail.
I can think of an easy solution to the problem of those locals not keen on the noise - a house swap.
Id happily exchange my place for somewhere local to spa - as long as there is a free trackday pass for, oooh, eternity!
I can think of an easy solution to the problem of those locals not keen on the noise - a house swap.
Id happily exchange my place for somewhere local to spa - as long as there is a free trackday pass for, oooh, eternity!
It is wonderful news that Spa Francorchamps has a reprieve, even if it will now be subjected to the "noise pollution" regulations imposed on the track. I hope it is successful at rebuffing these into the future.
It reminds me of the time when an irate resident 'phoned Donington Park to complain about the noise from racing cars. A quick-thinking staff member shouted down the 'phone "You'll have to speak-up a lot, I can't hear what you're saying - there's an aeroplane flying overhead!" For those unaware, Donington is very close to East Midlands Airport.
I would be willing to bet that the complainants in Belgium have all moved there fairly recently; in full knowledge that there's a racing circuit nearby.
I'm a motor racing commentator and oddly, residents near to Mallory Park say that it's the sounds from the PA which disturb their peace more than the racing car engines and squealing tyres. I'm not quite sure how to take this!
The problem goes back to the turn of the last century, when residents in well-heeled Surrey complained that the noise from Brooklands before the 1st World War was ruining their lives. Hence all the cars had to be fitted with "Brooklands" silencers, characteristically the fishtail shaped ones so linked with those old cars. Ah well.
It reminds me of the time when an irate resident 'phoned Donington Park to complain about the noise from racing cars. A quick-thinking staff member shouted down the 'phone "You'll have to speak-up a lot, I can't hear what you're saying - there's an aeroplane flying overhead!" For those unaware, Donington is very close to East Midlands Airport.
I would be willing to bet that the complainants in Belgium have all moved there fairly recently; in full knowledge that there's a racing circuit nearby.
I'm a motor racing commentator and oddly, residents near to Mallory Park say that it's the sounds from the PA which disturb their peace more than the racing car engines and squealing tyres. I'm not quite sure how to take this!
The problem goes back to the turn of the last century, when residents in well-heeled Surrey complained that the noise from Brooklands before the 1st World War was ruining their lives. Hence all the cars had to be fitted with "Brooklands" silencers, characteristically the fishtail shaped ones so linked with those old cars. Ah well.
A911DOM said:
Galileo said:
I've always thought it would be cheaper to offer to relocate the complainers to the other side of town in a nicer house. Then sell the old house with a caviat about the noise. The curcuit would be down by the difference in costs of houses, the complainer gets a nicer house for free away from the noise. Probably a cheaper solution than building sound banks and fences etc.
Just a thought.
Cheaper to hire a couple of discreet snipers I reckon Just a thought.
As with too many things in Belgium, it's more than the noise & the pollution ! It has become a political game (war ?). Remember that a lot of money was invested in this circuit over the past three years, with government back-up ! In the first place to keep the F1-circus coming to this track (and they should - all who've driven here must agree ... Francorchamps is one of the worlds' greatest racetracks), but also to create a lot of new & permanent jobs. It was turned into a permanent race course, from being a "now end then" circuit of which more than half of it's length were public roads and with the permission to be used a few weekends per year only.
As you said ... there aren't too many houses near the track. On the one hand (at the end of the long straight and near the 'les Combes' chicane) there are the villages of Rivage and Burnenville (BTW they were both inside the very old 22-km long track of many many years ago). On the other side (near the new and old pitlanes and the 'la Source' hairpin) there's the village of Francorchamps itself. So one must wonder if creating jobs is now less important than some cars (or bikes ...) racing here ? Time for the local and national politicians to open their eyes and stop being 'fashionable' (most people love to hear that their favourite politician shows concern but all he does is assuring his votes and his career) - motorsport, even in Belgium, employs hundreds of people !
For those who would like to support the circuit, here's an interesting link !
http://www.defendonsfrancorchamps.be/petition-trac...
As you said ... there aren't too many houses near the track. On the one hand (at the end of the long straight and near the 'les Combes' chicane) there are the villages of Rivage and Burnenville (BTW they were both inside the very old 22-km long track of many many years ago). On the other side (near the new and old pitlanes and the 'la Source' hairpin) there's the village of Francorchamps itself. So one must wonder if creating jobs is now less important than some cars (or bikes ...) racing here ? Time for the local and national politicians to open their eyes and stop being 'fashionable' (most people love to hear that their favourite politician shows concern but all he does is assuring his votes and his career) - motorsport, even in Belgium, employs hundreds of people !
For those who would like to support the circuit, here's an interesting link !
http://www.defendonsfrancorchamps.be/petition-trac...
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