A €14m rollercoaster for Tayto Park has been refused due to the noise implications and impact on four local residents.
According to the journal.ie a €14m rollercoaster for Tayto Park has been refused due to the noise implications and impact on four local residents. The residents expressed their worries about the expected screaming from passengers on the rollercoaster that would add to the already incredibly popular but noisy theme park. The main objection was that the operation of such a thrilling rollercoaster would increase noise disturbances in the area and thus impact the residents negatively.
Noise monitoring and management is something of a headache amongst project managers and in the case of Tayto Park, this project would require significant noise monitoring and management. The team at Sonitus Systems routinely works on environmental, industrial, construction and entertainment noise management projects to reduce prolonged exposure to noise for residents. We work closely with our customers to help them capture the sound level data they require and turn it into the information they need. When it comes to noise, we can supply solutions that allow professionals from operators to manage noise without dedicating extensive resources to the task. We provide the instrumentation and tools to measure and control sound levels, so that noise is managed. Fully automatic boundary noise monitoring and compliance checks are also part of our service.
Our customers benefit by:
- Flexible alert system set up online with no on-site configuration
- Remote reporting with web-based data access, from the desk or on site
- Up to the minute information for actively managing noise emissions
- Reduced number of staff needed on site for out-of-hours work
- Lower cost of equipment
The Tayto Park rollercoaster project was given the green light back in February by Meath County Council, however, local residents appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála. According to the report in the journal.ie, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permissions for the €14m steel rollercoaster for Tayto Park deciding that the operation of the ride would be too noisy for residents living nearby. In fact, the article reports that the objectors’ homes are located 430 metres to the north of the Tayto Park site and 480 metres to the north east of the theme park. Inspection was made on the current rollercoaster in Tayto Park, Cú Chulainn which was found to emit rattling sounds when in operation. Furthermore, the report noted that they were not entirely satisfied that the proposed development would not be at risk of flooding. Reports also said that the rollercoaster would produce noise for up to nine hours every day and – as it is two rollercoasters in one – the noise level would be tripled with the current rollercoaster in operation in the theme park.
Sonitus Systems provides user-friendly and reliable noise monitoring systems and we were founded in 2007 to provide cost-effective noise monitoring instrumentation to regulatory authorities. The company has since expanded and evolved allowing us to offer a full range of noise management services. Our team have extensive expertise spanning engineering, product development, wireless sensor networking, acoustics and environmental noise management and are ideally equipped to develop innovative new solutions for measuring noise emissions. Our goal is to deliver affordable and scalable sound level monitoring systems for the assessment and management of noise pollution. Drawing on our R&D background we are constantly developing better and simpler ways to deliver the products and services needed by our customers. Projects require noise management to reduce the amount of objections on planning applications and as seen in the case of Tayto Park, reduce the refusals of such projects.
Tayto Park have expressed their concerns about the decision, particularly as it is one of the most visited attractions in Ireland. They released a statement in response to the decision by An Bord Pleanála and you can read it in full here.