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Ropers case not over

Thought you'd heard the last of Mr and Mrs Roper? So did we…

In a move that defies belief, the Ropers have decided to appeal against the terms of the Noise Abatement Order that were finalised during the October 14th hearing (see our news story for details).

They are said to be unhappy with the limit of three fireworks shows a year (which was already a cutback on the original five shows), and want the park restricted to just one show a year.

Alton Towers have already stated that if such a limit had been imposed, they would not be able to hold such an event, as there would be absolute chaos with so many guests trying to get to the one show.

The Ropers are also believed to want the noise limit for Oblivion, the vertical drop roller coaster, to be restricted to just 28 decibels. To put this into context, Doug Sharps (an acoustics expert) had said at a previous hearing: "I have never seen a limit of 30 decibels in any court order over a 30-year period. It's unprecedented. I think I've called it outrageous or words to that effect."

A limit of 28 decibels would mean that from the Ropers house, the noise heard from Oblivion would have to be the equivalent of somewhere between a whisper and quiet conversation.

All this means that the court case, which has now cost over £2 million, will now drag on.

It is sad to see that the decision made by the Appeals Court, which represented a realistic and workable solution to the problem, could not be accepted by the Ropers.