Anger at 'unreasonable' noise from Newbury Racecourse
Residents and councillors complain about loud music at private event
GREENHAM Parish Council was one of several parties to complain to West Berkshire Council about the “unreasonable” noise from Newbury Racecourse last Wednesday.
West Berkshire Council admitted it had received complaints regarding noise levels following a private corporate event at the venue.
Councillors said they could hear loud music as they arrived for a parish council meeting at St Mary’s Church Hall in New Road, while residents also took to social media to register their anger at the noise with one Facebook user saying “I can hear it all the way at the top of Wendan Road!”.
At the meeting, vice-chairman of the parish council, Chris Austin, brought up the issue saying it was not uncommon for noise to disturb residents around the Racecourse.
He added: “It’s something that does annoy residents. They do get this regularly and we wouldn’t put up with it from anyone else.
“I just feel it’s unreasonable.
“If it was a one-off we would all shrug our shoulders and let them get on with it.”
Teresa King said: “Why should we have a noise that we don’t want just because they [Newbury Racecourse] want some money?”
Following the meeting, acting clerk Heather Westbrook contacted West Berkshire Council to ask if the noise levels were being monitored.
A spokesperson for West Berkshire Council said: “The Racecourse had let us know about this event in advance and we proactively sent officers to the area to monitor the event.
“Noise levels met standards previously agreed with the Racecourse for outdoor events.
“The following day we received several complaints about the impact of the noise on local residents and we’ve fed these back to the racecourse.
“They have confirmed that they will be taking action to improve their communication about future events with the local community.”
A spokesperson for Newbury Racecourse told the that the private event had been within the agreed noise level boundaries and had finished by the 11pm curfew.
The spokesperson added: “A strong easterly breeze meant that the sound carried much further than normal in the direction of residential areas.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
