AT is being Sued!, By Mr and Mrs Roper Options

[Kondor]

they live by the park, and claim that there lives are being ruined by the screams comming from the park.

My bet is these are not screams of delight, but screams of realisation on having a 20 min walk to a half opened park after being on the road since 5am

[doom+sons1988]

I've just seen that story on Midlands Today. I can't stand it when these rich elderly villagers moan about Alton Towers.
What do they expect ? Signs around Alton Towers saying "Please be quiet".

[tiger2000]

Michael Stigwood, an independent acoustics expert, carried out nine noise readings, mostly over a six-month period in 2003.

Setting up his equipment in Mr and Mrs Roper's back garden, he measured a range of noise levels during the theme park's season and when it was closed.

Farley House is at a higher contour level than Alton Towers and so is more exposed to noise disturbance, especially as it is not screened from the rides.

Mr Stigwood alleged when planning permission was sought for Oblivion, council officers had based their noise predictions on what it would be like to live 800 metres away and be screened from the theme park. The impact on the Ropers was not taken into consideration.

During his acoustic readings, Mr Stigwood typically noted a "significant increase" in noise when Alton Towers was open and said it was at a level which national guidance described as likely to attract complaints. He denied other noise sources, such as wind, foliage and birdsong, could have accounted for significant background noise.

But the expert did admit carrying out one reading in April 2003 when he thought the theme park was closed, only later finding almost 14,000 visitors had been there.

Just look at the last paragraph, 14,000 guests on the park, and he could not detect any noise from Farley Village, which is less then 10 metres away from the park perimeter road!!!.

[Nexus]

I better put in a lawsuit for railtrack.. the noise level significanlty rises when a train passes by, at any time of the day or night.

Oh hold on.... I chose to live near trainlines.

[Dan]

Yeah, but who knows? These guys might've been living in Alton back when the place was only an attraction because of its beautiful gardens...

But I do think that the last paragraph in that article is very telling.

[Kondor]

surely this is proof Alton Towers needs to be open all year round

I dont really take much of this with any value though, background noise means very little if it is being measured in relevance. A strange comment I know, but I think where I live probably has a much higher background level during winter than Farley does.
Also Park Opening hours are worth there weight in gold, with noise only there at the times when it is open. As it is only open during the day, and most of that for only about 7hrs a day, then it really isnt worth them trying to complain too much.

Also, I wonder who is paying this guy if he is "independant"

[mark9]

I just find the case quite funny really. In my opinion they have a very very small chance of winning, because its 2 people against a very large company. Saying that stupider things have happened but the last paragraph speaks for itself.

[Big L]

Stella Liebeck.

[RPG]

their arguement seems a bit on the ropey side to me *cough*

[smods]

That was terrible RPG

[cookiee_munster]

It says HERE that they moved to the house in 1969... so of course they didnt know what they were going to be expecting. when you have a park filled with just gardens and a grand house, do you expect multi million pound rollercoasters to be built in the future?

though more has to be uncovered into this story. I'm still on the fence.

[xsixflags]

This has made the bbc news front pag (under "also in the news") so it must be either a story that is going to be quite large or there isnt much else to report

BBC

I really do not know how Alton Towers can quieten screams, it seems like they want the park or rides shut. Alton Towers realy isn't in the best place for a theme park. This may turn all bad because didn't a coaster in Japan close because the screams were to loud?

[mark9]

I don't think they have much of a case to be honest. Fireworks are let off all over the country, so I doubt because Alton hold a 30 minute firework show is much grounds for sueing the park. And with regards to scream the most screams you hear near Alton's entrance (and by this I mean towers street) is faint(very faint ) screams from Spinball. And also traffic is all over the country, It just so happens its on a country lane thats all.

[Sammi]

I'm still on the fence.

Hope it's not picketed, would be very painful.

[cookiee_munster]

I'm still on the fence.

Hope it's not picketed, would be very painful.

i know...

nar, just rounded off nicely... errr... i mean,lol better stop because i'm digging a nice big hole... i mean... eeek!



Edit, though in all seriousness i sit on the fence because i cant really support a side, i live in a rural area, beautiful countryside that sometimes annoys me because of hayfever :'( but... if i found out that a themepark was to be built about 100yards away from me i may think hey cool! but when i loose interest and 60 years later, i would probably feel the same as these people...

though i still sit on the fence, because i'd like to know how loud the screams are and if its possible to make the ground rumble like that...

This post has been edited by cookiee_munster: Jul 15 2004, 4:20 PM

[WillPS]

I better put in a lawsuit for railtrack..

(Knit-Picking) You wont get much money from them

In my oppinion they could move away, and I bet they'd get a very decent price for their house. I seem to remmember hearing that Broome paid local's quite a wedge in the mid-eighties.

[phi11ip]

I don't think they have much of a case to be honest. Fireworks are let off all over the country, so I doubt because Alton hold a 30 minute firework show is much grounds for sueing the park. And with regards to scream the most screams you hear near Alton's entrance (and by this I mean towers street) is faint(very faint  ) screams from Spinball. And also traffic is all over the country, It just so happens its on a country lane thats all.

The fireworks could be a case as it's a private display that affects other people.

As with the rides arguement, they will win and AT will have to pay out a lot.

The park wasn't anything when they moved, they were in a quiet village with hardly any traffic and no noise, it would have been a lovely quiet countryside house.

Since the park took off however nothing has been done to help the villagers, the roads are always super busy and when the wind blows at their home from AT the noise will be incredibly loud. I can't hear the M25 from my house normally but other times when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction the sound it easily heard inside, I'm a few miles away from it too.

[Dan]

(Knit-Picking) You wont get much money from them

In my oppinion they could move away, and I bet they'd get a very decent price for their house. I seem to remmember hearing that Broome paid local's quite a wedge in the mid-eighties.

(Nit-picking) It's "nit" not "knit"

I wrote a big rant ages ago about why residents shouldn't have to up and leave their home just because a theme park has been built next to them. So rather than repeat myself, just follow the link below to read my thoughts on the issue.

Link to my rant

[William]

Gah, its their fault for listening to it!

I hope that rides aren't removed...

Anyway, they seem a bit unsure of their case, I will wait until the final news comes out that Oblivion might have to go :'(

Why don't PBBP have this problem? Is it literally just Hotels around the place?

[Dan]

I would assume because Blackpool has been a tourist attraction for over a hundred years, so it's accepted that if you live there, you're gonna get noise (either from attractions or tourists). Whereas Alton has only (relatively) recently become a large tourist attraction, in the last 3 decades or so.