A DEAL has been reached to allow motor racing to continue in a Malvern village on a permanent basis as well as reducing the noise impact on nearby residents.
The owners of Grimley Raceway and Malvern Hills District Council reached a compromise shortly before the case was due to be heard in court.
A number of complaints had been made to the authority about noise from the site off the A443 in recent years to the point where it was found to be excessive and above that generated by other circuits.
Initial court action was taken in December 2015 which resulted in the owners agreeing to undertake work to reduce the impact of noise levels.
However, when this did not happen an interim injunction was applied for to halt racing while the matter was discussed in court.
A temporary compromise was reached earlier this year which allowed racing to resume subject to certain restrictions.
This led to both parties agreeing a permanent deal which was ratified by a judge during a hearing at Walsall County Court last Tuesday.
A statement from Grimley Raceway said: “We find it utterly incredulous that the council have committed such extensive staff time and finances in pursuing the raceway to this extent.
“In previous times the raceway has operated under much less onerous restrictions imposed by the council than have been voluntarily applied at the raceway since 2014, without causing undue concerns.
“The raceway is now more limited in its operations solely on account of the occupiers of one property, which is by no means the closest, and with the occupiers having acknowledged that in past years the situation was acceptable.
“The raceway gives pleasure to many, a point acknowledged by the judge, yet we have seemingly been coerced into further constraining what was an acceptable operating format.”
Under the terms of the order, the raceway will only be allowed to hold nine meetings a year and there must be at least 20 to 27 days between each event depending on scheduling.
Only one race can be held on a Bank Holiday in any single year, no racing can take place before 1pm or after 6pm, except for Bonfire Night, and engines cannot be started or repairs made before 11am or after 6pm.
Restrictions have also been placed on the type of announcements which can be made over the public address system and the type of vehicles which can be used in races.
A noise management plan must also be submitted to the council each year.
Council staff or other appointed experts must also allowed on site to ensure the order is being complied with.
Phil Merrick, head of economy and communities for Malvern Hills District Council, said: “We’ve always said we were supportive of the raceway but that had to be balanced against our legal obligation to protect our residents from excessive noise.
“We’re delighted we have been able to reach an agreement which imposes some tough restrictions on the operation of the racetrack while ensuring racing can continue at Grimley in the future.”
