| I wrote a big feature on this issue for Superbike mag a year ago and had a lengthy chat to Rodney about it, it's actually really interesting (well the topic, I'm not bigging myself up, lol!) and makes you understand that it really is out of the circuit's hands, they risk MASSIVE fines and licences taken away from them for going over noise limits, with mics connected directly to the council! (You also understand why Donington has a noisy track day on the Thursday, then a quiet one on the Friday, then race meeting at the weekend... You'd think it's ridiculous, but they're not allowed two consecutive noisy events. They are also given a number of 'noisy' days they're allowed a year etc...) They have to behave to survive, they're not being mean! Although it's frustrating when you're not aware of all the behind-the-scenes goings-on, it seems like they're taking the pee.
It's outrageous how people buy a house next door to a historic circuit that has existed for more than a hundred years (Castle Combe) and then complain about the noise - unfortunately CC is plagued by this and has risked being shut down altogether many times... Oh, and that's also why they have six groups on their track days with only about 12 bikes allowed on the circuit at the same time, that's imposed on them! And they are told how many days they are allowed to run in a year and when hence they're so restricted...
But I'll dig out the piece and scan it in sometime this weekend.  |