Alton Towers sued again by neighbours

Normally I am on the side of the parks in cases such as this. But I have to admit that the traffic IS an issue in that area. Those small roads were never meant to have that many people swarming through them. So I can understand their point about that.

As for the noise issue, I am not in a position to say. But if the noise really is that bad inside their house, some soundproofing to the house (paid for by Alton) could be done. In other cases double paned windows have made a difference. If that still doesn't help, then I don't know. That would be a problem.

And as for the hot air balloon ride, that would have been awesome. But the flame from the balloons can be quite loud at times. There was a balloon festival 1 block from my house one year, and after hearing that, I have to admit, I wouldn't want balloons near my house everyday either!

I'm sure this idea has probably been suggested before (and ridiculed as being stupid or impossible) but could AT not just buy out the unhappy neighbours?

I appreciate that there are probably complications with this proposition that I am unaware of, simply being an enthusiast and all, but surely this would stop alot of this hassle AT continues to suffer from year after year.

Obviously cost and practicality are major factors to consider in respect to this proposal but are they the only ones? Is there some kind of law that forbids this?

The park was there before the houses, wasn't it? I thought this park has been around for a LONG time, but that the roller coasters only made there way in the last 35-40 years.

But that would be a change would it not Turbo? If you move in next to a nice quiet garden park and then later they add coasters, well, that's a big change. And one that people who bought there houses there probably could not forsee.

I can understand where the residents are coming from on this one. For those who don't know the area, Alton Towers is set amongst rolling hills about as far away from a motorway as it is possible to get in Central England surrounded by roads that were only ever meant for rural traffic. The population of this area is probably not going to be a very young population and many would have been there long before the rids started coming as at one point it would have been a very peaceful and beautiful area. AT has worked wonders to try and keep the area looking beautiful but a park of this size is going to generate a lot of noise and traffic. There is no solution to this problem that will make everyone happy. AT will want to install more rides, but what ever is proposed, people will complain. The resident say they want a relief road. Imagine the debate about where this should go! The bottom line is that AT is a great park with some fabulous rides plus a senic location that is unrivalled but is built in a completely impractical position as far as access and development issues allow.

It's easy for you roller coaster buffs to say that the residents are being dickheads because:

A. You love roller coasters.

B. You don't live near Alton Towers.

Realize these people could not forsee a freaking top ten park when the bought their homes. I would be complaining too if the noise is as bad as they say it is. Buying a new roller coaster wouldn't be pleasing me if it caused more noise.

But that's just it... those of us that don't live there have a real hard time believing that it's that bad, especially when the park has been forced to bury its rides and keep most everything below the tree line.

The Mole said:

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Funny, none of the residents next to CP, Geauga Lake, or any other parks complain.

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Well, considering CP is in the middle of a lake and the nearest residence is 1/2 mile away.

I know when Kennywood had to put the brake before the vertical loop on the old Phantom, there were neighbors complaining.

Crochety old people who live by theme parks are the worst. I've always noted that when I'm standing in a parking lot to a theme park I can hardly hear any park noise at all. It seems me like it would be comprable to living near a freeway or the ocean, you can only hear it outside and it's in the distance. What's even worse is those hotels they have in and around Disneyland and Knott's, prompting the installation of "scream tunnels" (which become featured aspects of the ride so they're not really bad) and those sneeze guard things on that maliboomer ride (the ones that make you feel like Buzz Lightyear). It is my opinion that anyone staying in a hotel right next to a theme park, and especially the ones that are INSIDE the theme park have absolutely no right at all to complain about ambient theme park noise.</rant>

That being said, maybe AT build a wall or something.

Maybe, maybe not Jeff. It's hard for any of us to say for sure, since we are not the ones living there.But one thing I do know is the traffic sure is bad. And as someone else said above, those roads were not meant for that kind of traffic. It's not a real good situation actually. It's a great park, but in a very wrong spot.

I can totally understand the residents being upset that a big theme park is in their backyard.

ok ok I could understand the complaints about noise, but I'm pretty sure that the rides and noise levels are all legal, or else they wouldn't have even been allowed to be built int he first place right?

Alton towers shoudl just build a wall around the villages with sentry towers watching over the rampaging grannies, then build a road around the wall to the park, et bob c'est ton oncle!