Government Petition re Noise

[Chris Kerswell]

With the way things are going more and more people seem to be complaining about noise generated by model car meetings.

We should all sign the following petition which is not aimed specifically at model car meetings but a more general petition to ensure that activities which generate noise are not wiped out due to a small minority making a complaint.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/livewithit

[Neil McRae]

Chris,
I think the petition is good in that it specifically focuses on long standing events and assuming the noise levels don't increase for any reason then they should be allowed to continue.

I'd becareful about your comment on a small minority though, its easy to think its a minority but its typically the minority who have the confidence to complain, not the people that actually might be unhappy about the noise and are the silient majority. In some cases it is a minority but I wouldn't assume thats always the case.

Once upon a time I would have not even had to think about signing such a petition but just over a year ago I had a major noise problem with a next door neighbour that has changed my view completely on noise pollution. One of the people was a DJ and had a massive PA system in his living room. Even when the volume was low because of the sheer size of the speakers you could hear and feel the bass at the most furthest point in my house. This is on a detached house well away from the offending neighbour. I nearly crashed my car because one weekend it went on and on and I was so tired the following Monday.

The council was in short no help and I eventually had to buy a load of video and noise measuring equipment and persue a case on my own. Which I won, a number of my other neighbours who didn't complain where very happy that action had been taken. A noise abatement order was placed and had he ran his kit one more time it would have been siezed.

Shortly after the offending neighbour moved house (and I really feel for the unlucky people who he now lives next too).

Regards,
Neil.

[TrevCoult]

I find the petition itself extremely well worded.

Signed.

Trev

[Steve Cann]

To the best of my knowledge it was more or less the 'work' of one person that got Tibshelf shutdown... Currently a local resident to my club has worked 'tirelessly' to get a 'noisy activity' stopped in the same park as we are located... Just hoping he doesn't now turn his attention to 'us'... Usual thing, I'm afraid, recently retired still sound of body and mind and wants something he can get his teeth into! It is my experience that the council will always side with a single resident in these circumstances rather than a visiting group of people...

Don't just think it's problems of noise you would associate with ic engines... At one electric National I was attending a local resident 'phoned to complain vehmently about the 'beep' associated with timing software!

Yes, I have signed the petition and I wouldn't mind seeing a few more names from our sphere of interest added to the document... It might just be a help one day...

[PDW]

I went up to Halifax for a day last month, and the one thing that struck me as soon as I got out of the car was the noise! After looking around a bit I realised that it was the generators in the field area. Think on...

[Andy Taylor]

I went up to Halifax for a day last month, and the one thing that struck me as soon as I got out of the car was the noise! After looking around a bit I realised that it was the generators in the field area. Think on...


This will not be the only petition you need to sign. With this government trying to bring in road tolls which could be up to 1.30 per mile...yes per mile...noise will not be an issue soon.

Back on topic as Neil points out until it is you that is affected its not important, which is why we are exploring alternative means of getting information to the drivers. Its also one reason why our clubs does not use BLEEPS, we turn them off. Sadly when the truggies came they wanted BBK voices over the PA and we had our first complaint for over a year. Go figure..

It pays to drive round, and also walk round the area from time to time to listen to what the neighbours can hear. Also pays to check out EVERY ONE who uses the PA system as we have one young lady who can be heard above all others and she is quite softly spoken not high pitched either.

So yes fill the petition in but also think about what YOU can do to live with the neighbours, a lot can be done that many will not even consider.

[Steve Cann]

So yes fill the petition in but also think about what YOU can do to live with the neighbours, a lot can be done that many will not even consider.




But this petition is more to do with long standing venues/activities that get a new neighbour who feels he/she has the right to shut down something thats gone on for years... Recently there was the case of the lady that retired to a quiet Suffolk town [Aldeburgh] only to find there was a long standing tradition [600 years] of ringing the church bells... So she started a one person campaign to get the practice stopped... I reckon she'd have got away with it if the vicar hadn't got the local TV news team involved... Fair?

There has been at least one venue that was originally in the 'middle of nowhere' only to have houses built beside it... After protests from new residents venue got shut down... Fair? Don't think so myself...

[Skiddins]

Steve, I think it might be an idea to try some testing to see how well our P.A. can be heard, at the KO I could still hear announcements clearly from inside the toilet cubicles, might be worth testing to if we can reduce it a little to prevent any neighbour problems, especially if there is any more comeback over the nitro's etc that use the public park

Skiddins

[Steve Cann]

Steve, I think it might be an idea to try some testing to see how well our P.A. can be heard...



Young Christian is called, by the 'locals' "The young 'girl' :eek: that can't count!" :):)...

As for their opinion of KK... ;):D

[spmcc]

There is a simple cure for PA encroachment. More speakers. Yep it's that simple. Strategically placed and lower down. 2 speakers one each side of the rostrum and 10 feet up in the air will send the sound in all directions and so just to make sure everyone can hear it, the volume gets cranked up. If you use small low wattage re-enterant horn type speaker which are very directional placed around the track fencing you don't need it to be so loud. If you need tones, keep them on the rostrum only again broadcast through a couple of low wattage horns. OK you would need the ability to split voice and tone but it can be done quite simply if your PA amp is stereo, or you have 2 amps and you're running the right race program:D
If you want more info let me know.

[Oliver]

Think the petition is brilliantly worded. Have passed it on to many (non-RC related) people.... many more people than you think experience similar problems (actually, come to think of it, no you can probably imagine just how many 'busy bodies' there are with too much spare time........)

Completely agree with Jon - strategically placed speakers is a better way of upping the "volume" without increasing the "noise" (if that makes any sense), although obviously a slightly higher cost. Another way perhaps to cut down on noise may be large display boards around the track..... or what about small personal hand held units sitting on your pit table....... ;) :P

[Andy Taylor]

There is a simple cure for PA encroachment. More speakers. Yep it's that simple. Strategically placed and lower down. 2 speakers one each side of the rostrum and 10 feet up in the air will send the sound in all directions and so just to make sure everyone can hear it, the volume gets cranked up. If you use small low wattage re-enterant horn type speaker which are very directional placed around the track fencing you don't need it to be so loud. If you need tones, keep them on the rostrum only again broadcast through a couple of low wattage horns. OK you would need the ability to split voice and tone but it can be done quite simply if your PA amp is stereo, or you have 2 amps and you're running the right race program:D
If you want more info let me know.

Agree with your sentiments Jon but not the use of horns. 100volt line speakers spread out will always be better than PA horns which are crap close to them but can be heard half a mile away.

[Skiddins]

Agree with your sentiments Jon but not the use of horns. 100volt line speakers spread out will always be better than PA horns which are crap close to them but can be heard half a mile away.

That might be what Jon means, at WLRC we use 100V line speakers (6 off), which are also 'horn' type (need to be to be weather proof)

Skiddins

[Andy Taylor]

That might be what Jon means, at WLRC we use 100V line speakers (6 off), which are also 'horn' type (need to be to be weather proof)

Skiddins

They make waterproof speakers which are not horns mate.

These are better for local noise dispersment as they are not directional.

Horns are ok as long as you remember they are louder thousands of yards away than 5 metres to the side. Any speakers are bad if you get high wind as sound will carry so far on the wind.

The down side of speakers is you need a fair number to cover the area. If you attempt to use too few you end up defeating the object by making those you have too loud.