Injunction against Croft Circuit

[tony19b]

Croft Circuit have been served with an injunction limiting their motorsport activity to 40 days per year, due to a complaint about noise. This could be more bad news for BTCC. Details at the following link:http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/4076123.Croft_Circuit_loses_noise_appeal/

 

[UncleFester]

40 days a year ..... to try and recoup £860,000 of legal bills - they'll close before that gets paid. You'd think people would have the common sense to realise what living next to a racetrack involves - i.e. Noise!

What maddens me more is that they've been reimbursed the value that living next to a racetrack knocked off their homes, funny that they bought them with that value already knocked off - unless they'd been living in those houses since before 1949.

If i was a motorsport circuit i'd buy all the perimeter houses and then rent them out as Hospitality suites on race days or lease them as long term corporate suites or hell, sell them on but with a non claim disclosure signed / croft track day discount, how many of us would pay a premium for access to something like that much less take them to court.

If I was the owner of Croft i'd be rightly fuming!

 

[DPJ]

Croft Promo-Sport Ltd has a leasehold interest in the circuit, which is managed by Croft Classic and Historic Motor Sports Ltd (CCHM). CCHM was set up in 1994 by Mr Jimmy Wilson - who was married to Jill Wilson between 1987 and 1994 -

hairy dan, croft says...
12:36pm Mon 26 Jan 09
Absolutely disgusting that these money grabbers can affect the local economy like this, they weren't complaining about the noise when they tried to get planning permission to turn their property into a hotel which would have benefited from the circuit. I hope they can sleep at night knowing that their actions will cost local people jobs and money.

hmmmmm

 

[tony19b]

I am in the Isle of Man at the moment and heard this on the local radio. They were debating whether this could ever happen on the island, the world's premier road racing venue. Residents here suffer quite a bit of inconvenience for a few weeks each year but they are a damn sight more pragmatic than our moaning NIMBYs, recognising the value of motorsport to the local economy.

 

[JasonP06]

I will miss going to Croft; having been there since 2001. It was a really nice place to look forward to going and every year was different. No two were ever the same. I saw it all in the BTCC from 2001 to 2009.

A bit part of my year has gone and it will never ever return whilst that family dares show it's face in North Yorkshire and live there.

 

[Ian Carvell]

That is such a shame, Croft is one of my favorite circuits...all for the sake of a few idiots moaning about a minor inconvienience.

Why did they move into a house next to a race circuit / airfield if they dont like noise!

 

[RobDon]

I'll never understand why they build houses next to airports, race circuits, etc. in the first place ....... and why anyone would buy a house there either???

 

[DPJ]

....... and why anyone would buy a house there either???

Lovely countryside, Rob.
Clicky

I live nearly. First time I've looked at a Google satellite image and seen the circuit in use.

 

[andycupra]

i hear that Monaco will only allow use of electric cars from 2012 due to similair complaints.

 

[DPJ]

I was thinking, I loved being on my drive or in the garden, hearing the background noise of motorsport/trackdays in the distance.

Can I sue these people for loss of that enjoyment?

 

[markoos]

I was thinking, I loved being on my drive or in the garden, hearing the background noise of motorsport/trackdays in the distance.

Can I sue these people for loss of that enjoyment?

You can try...

 

[andycupra]

there was a case where a cricket club has to move their cricket nets due to the sound of 'leather on willow'.

 

[Craig Senior]

I was thinking, I loved being on my drive or in the garden, hearing the background noise of motorsport/trackdays in the distance.

Can I sue these people for loss of that enjoyment?

Give it a try, they have a bit of spare cash now.

 

[Craig Senior]

Lovely countryside, Rob.
Clicky

I live nearly. First time I've looked at a Google satellite image and seen the circuit in use.

Looks like the BTCC meeting as well.

 

[DPJ]

Looks like the BTCC meeting as well.

Clever people at Google. That's been patched in, if I look at my house nearby, the image hasn't changed, but last time I panned across to Croft from home, it was empty.

 

[Timthebrief]

BTCC qualifying in the Google pic, looking at how few cars actually on circuit, and parked in car park.

The injunction doesn't in fact ban the Public motorsport meetings (BTCC included) so in theory they can continue albeit with curfews etc as at other venues. However the restriction will prevent much use of the circuit for trackdays, training, testing etc which are vital income for the owners and it's difficult to see how they can meet the damages and costs bill easily, although the winners in the case have indicated they may be open to negotiation. The injunction was their main goal. rather than damages.

I must admit at the moment I'm slightly mystified as to the outcome given that the circuit and extensive use seem to have been there long before the current complainants, but as a lawyer I'd need to read the full judgement rather than rely on a news report.

 

[DPJ]

......... I must admit at the moment I'm slightly mystified as to the outcome given that the circuit and extensive use seem to have been there long before the current complainants, but as a lawyer I'd need to read the full judgement rather than rely on a news report.

I've looked, when's it likely to be published, Tim?

 

[IainW]

Looks like the BTCC meeting as well.

Trying to work out the year. I reckon it's 2006. The Pirelli truck is there for the Cupra Championship, which switched to Dunlops in 2007. Also, I can see my car parked in the competitors/media carpark and I had only picked it up a few weeks earlier.

If it's that obvious to us that the owner of this house is someone who is bitter about certain things that haven't gone their way in the past, why isn't it the same to the courts?

Like Fester said, if it had been possible to buy up the surrounding houses, then there would be no issues. Knockhill own the only house in the immediate area of the track up there for that reason. Other circuits seem to get along well with residents, especially the MSV tracks which have residents days and give them free season passes for events. I heard that Silverstone are very good towards their neighbours as well.

I'd love to hear the noise of cars on circuit all the time from my house. I remember waking up in a friend's flat in Silverstone village 2 years ago to the sound of a Super Aguri F1 car going round and round on a January morning.

 

[andycupra]

FYI google maps 'satellite' images when zoomed in are not satellite images. they are actually patched photographs from airplanes.

 

[Lodgey180]

FYI google maps 'satellite' images when zoomed in are not satellite images. they are actually patched photographs from airplanes.