Bovingdon race track given six more months to cut noise levels

In January 2014 temporary permission was allowed for two years for motorcycle and motor vehicle activities, following an appeal against an enforcement notice against these activities when residents raised complaints about tyre screeching noise.

Operators Drift Limits was given the two-year trial to demonstrate that the drifting activities, at Runways Farm, could be controlled and not cause “unacceptable noise nuisance to surrounding residential properties.”

But Bovingdon Action Group (BOG) say there has still been regular problems with noise, and appointed its own noise consultant to examine the activities at the airfield.

More than 650 complaints have been registered since 2014, with 130 coming in the last seven months alone.

Following calls to scrap permission altogether, councillors on the development management committee gave Drift Limits a further six months to show it can cut down the level of noise, and have restricted activities to just one day a week.

Brad Gunn, from BOG, told the Gazette: “I live 20 metres from a busy road, and a mile from the runways, and the screeching is so loud I can’t even hear the road traffic. We’re not sure what will give us any confidence that they can fix it in the next six months.”

Councillor Graham Barratt,, member for Bovingdon on Dacorum Borough Council, said: “I think residents will be disappointed that they have another six months. But if they can adequately suppress the noise then there won’t be any difficulties.”

Jonny Barden, managing director of Drift Limits, said: “There’s a very small minority of people who have issues but we also have a lot of support.

“We do a lot of positive things, including supporting charities.”