The fury of residents round Silverstone as they’re blighted by noise
- Little London residents say event is a ‘nightmare’ but is also ‘good for trade’
- Locals say ‘draconian’ measures mean they can’t park cars outside their homes
Fuming residents living near Silverstone’s Grand Prix track have blasted organisers for turning the world famous race event into a music festival, complaining about crowds, noise and parking chaos with some saying: ‘We have become prisoners in our own homes!’
Simon Page, who is dreading the four-day Formula 1 spectacle on his doorstep – which kicks off tonight – said: ‘It has got bigger and noisier and is driving many locals mad.
‘Half a dozen roads in the village are closed off to traffic meaning we are all banned from parking outside our own homes. It is ridiculous.’
The F1 model maker, who has lived in the tiny small Northamptonshire village of Little London near Towcester, for 27 years, said: ‘They now have bands playing over the whole weekend. It is meant to be a racing event but it is more like Glastonbury.
‘They’ve turned it into a rave and the music blaring out is louder than the cars on race day.’
The 61-year-old added: ‘They’ve always had some live music but it has never been so loud or extensive as it was last year, and this will be even worse.
Residents living near Silverstone’s racing track have complained that the event’s noise, cars and helicopters
Locals of Little London say they are ‘prisoners in their own homes’, complaining that the annual F1 event has been ‘turned into a rave’
Simon Page complained about ‘draconian’ parking measures introduced since last year preventing residents from parking on the road outside their homes
Residents living a stone’s throw away from the track, say the F1 Grand Prix now closer resembles the Glastonbury Festival with loud bands and music acts
A host of celebrities are expected to be Silverstone with Brad Pitt (pictured) there on Thursday
‘You can’t sleep at night because it goes on till the early hours and you can’t go out in the day in your vehicle because the roads are sealed off or too crowded. It is utter chaos.
‘We have become prisoners in our own homes!’
Mr Page, echoing the sentiments of neighbours, said: ‘There used to be absolutely no problem with the race and the fans are wonderful. The problem is the management.
‘Last year they imposed draconian measures for parking which they have introduced again.
‘They issued parking tickets for anyone parking on the road outside their hones who is not privileged to have a drive.
‘They even gave my disabled neighbour a ticket for parking whilst displaying a blue badge.’
Mr Page, who lives with his childminder wife Jane less than a mile from the track, told MailOnline: ‘Last year the music reached 140 decibels, that’s incredibly loud and I measured it. The sound from the race cars was quieter 79-80 decibels.’
He also slammed organisers for employing heavy-handed traffic wardens and groaned: ‘All the residents are up in arms.’
Mr Page, who moved to the village nearly three decades ago to work for a factory near the track, said : Initially there was absolutely no problem but it’s got worse over the years with road closures, parking nightmare, noise from bands and helicopters.
‘The roads have become a rat run. Parking tickets are being given out left, right and centre absurd has caused a lot of bad feeling.
‘Locals who don’t have off street parking are being offered parking in a field but why should we put up wit that.
‘Luckily I have parking space at the front and back but many people in these old houses don’t and from Friday morning to Sunday night our road, Murswell Lane will be among those closed off.
Villager Paige Snooks, with her husband Kris and their one-year-old daughter Aria. The couple told MailOnline they ‘dread’ the event
Sharon Croft, co owner of the local Nisa store & Post Office says the annual event makes the small village ‘overwhelmingly busy’
Ms Croft’s business faces queues down the street while the racing is on as she is forced to limit customers in the shop for safety reasons
Mr Page, who will not be attending the racing but has been a visitor in the past, added: ‘Also the prices for spectators has shot to horrendously but motor fans from across the world are still coming here, and are not put off.
‘The problem is that the village has grown with a lot of new builds here now so the organisers have frown the Grand Prix event with volume and quantity. The music can be deafening.’
He added: ‘The music used to be Friday and Saturday and now they have added Thursday night with King’s of Leon playing. Next year they will probably add an extra night!’
This year’s British Grand Prix opening concert is set to be headlined by acts including Kings of Leon, Stormzy, Pete Tong and Rudimental. A host of celebrities are expected to attend. Brad Pitt was there on Thursday.
Award-winning actress Hannah Waddingham will perform the National Anthem on Sunday July 7.
Villager Paige Snooks admitted: ‘Last year it was horrendous living here, the noise, the parking, the crowds.’
The customer services advises said the only solution to beat the Silverstone Grand Prix was to avoid it by going away.
She is heading off early Friday for a wedged away to Great Yarmouth with her husband Kris , a vehicle technician, and their one-year-old daughter Aria.
Mrs Snooks said: ‘So many residents were given parking fines even the village postman!
‘We dread the event and chaos it causes so we disappear for the weekend, like other sensible people.’
Her husband added: ‘Many locals are moaning about it. We’ve lived herd for five years but we’re not D1 fans.’
Sharon Croft, co owner of the local Nisa store & Post Office in the heart of the small village, said: ‘The event draws the crowds from all over the counter and overseas. It’s usually such a quiet village but now it’s overwhelming busy!
‘The shop’s packed and we have queues firming down the street as we have to limit the number of customers for safety reasons.’
The store boss from Northampton says she and her family never get to the event because ‘it’s all hands on deck here.’
She added: ‘We watch it in TV. It’s madness here with all the people but it’s good for business.’
Farmer Darren McCullagh, 42, said that despite creating a ‘feast’ atmosphere in the village, Silverstone weekend ’causes a bit of a nightmare’
But Publican Mal Gray, who runs the White Horse said the racing is ‘good for trade’, adding that the only issue was dealing with people drinking all day
Farmer Darren McCullagh, 42, who has lived in the area all his life and use to working the race industry, admitted: ‘The race weekend causes a bit of a nightmare. The atmosphere is feast but it comes at a cost.’
He said that while many people were complaining about the loud music it didn’t personally bother he and his partner as ‘we’re both musicians and enjoy hearing it.’
He added: ‘The event is getting bigger every year but better too and villagers get free tickets for the first night but not the weekend.
‘We don’t go along, we just sit in the garden with a drink and listen to it.’
He told how many locals were annoyed last year because of the vast amount of parking tickets being handed out . He said: ‘Wow, it was crazy, everyone was getting ticketed.’
Pub landlord Mal Gray who runs the White Horse said: ‘I’m not a race fan but you get into it and it’s very good for trade. We’re ramped here, you get 700 drinkers in a day and it’s the only pub in the village. Some people start arriving on Tuesday.
‘There’s a great atmosphere and only a bit of trouble when people are drinking all day but nothing you can’t deal with.
‘I’ve been here for 16 months so it s my second F1 season. You hear some complaints from residents about the noise and disruption and parking restrictions but you have to sit back and enjoy it. You’re living or working in Silverstone, what do you expect.’
Nic Andrews, co owner of a sheep and arable farm, who provides glamping for 2,000 race fan, said: ‘We don’t want the big bands up at the race track, we want our guests to stay here and listen to live music and spend their money at our venue!’
She added: ’The Grand Prix is becoming more like a music festival and they’re attracting top names like Kings of Leo, Stormzy and Rudimental and drawing in the crowds.
Ms Andrews, who runs popular Silverstone Farm Camping with her sister Vanessa Spark-King and brother Richard King, said while local businesses were cashing in on the race event, ’some residents had cause for complaint.’
She told MailOnline: ’Silverstone, you either love it or hate it! I prefer polo to Formula 1 but I watch a bit of it n TV.
‘I live at the farm our family has run for many years, and i know a lot of people go away at Grand Prix time ad they can’t stand the disruption.
’They rent their homes out as airbnb’s and let the fans enjoy being based near the track.
‘I do feel sorry for the old grannies and grandpas who have lived in the village for years and have to put up with all the noise, traffic chaos and crowds for a long, crazy weekend.
‘I empathise with residents and signed a petition last year, as a local, because the parking was just awful and probably will be this year.
Nic Andrews (pictured with sister Vanessa), co owner of a sheep and arable farm, said that while some businesses had cashed in on the event, ‘some residents had cause for complaint’
‘Even a supplier to the race park got a ticket.’
Ms Andrews told how organisers planned to bring ‘more and more music’ to the event with lots of bands as well as the traditional fairground sounds.’
Her family runs posh camping – in tents and caravans – for £250 for five days for up to four people for the race event.
She explained: ‘We’ve been doing it for 25-30 years for Silverstone only and now one other event, and it started off very small but has grown enormously.
‘We have 30 acres of camping and we’re a 30-minute walk from the track and we provide a shuttle bus service too.
‘People love staying here because it’s peaceful, away from the thronging crowds and we serve hot food and have a brand new bar.’
Two guests at the camp site and enthusiastic first time visitors to the FI spectacle are friends Brian Mitchell and Lee Johnson, who arrived, towing caravan from Hull, East Yorkshire.
Mr Mitchell, a local authority broker was treated to the trip by his pal as a 50th birthday present, said: ‘We’re excited to be here and can’t wait for all the action – the racing and the music.’
Mr Johnson, 46, a ship’s captain on a research vessel, told how he gifted his mate to the race meet, costing more than £1,000 per person plus accommodation and music event entry.
He said: ‘It’s a celebration for a close friend and we like motor racing and music so we’re sorted for the weekend.
‘And if people are complaining about the noise here it’s very quiet compared to Le Mans which I have just come back from!’
Villager Chris Hinton told how he used to go to the event but ’not any more as it has become too manic.”
Among visitors to the F1 spectacle were Brian Mitchell, 50 and Lee Johnson, 46. Both said they were excited and ‘couldn’t wait for all the action’
Electrical engineers Brad Tutin and Jack Rush both said that criticism of the event was unjust and unfair
The builder said: ‘You are drowned out by the noise, not just of the cars racing around, but the music events at night.
’They even have fairground music up at the site and at night you can hear it thumping out. It’s all a bit much for some of the residents living here.’
Locals Brad Tutin and Jack Rush, both 24 and electrical engineers sipping a pint at the village pub believe criticism of the event was unjust and unfair.
Mr Tutin said: ‘I live here, I love racing and I have worked at the track. People moan about the noise and parking disruption but it doesn’t affect me.
‘I live in a newer house in a cul-de-sac but I know some residents in the older properties, with only on street parking, get annoyed.
‘But why buy a home in Silverstone village when you know what you’re letting yourself in for?
‘Yes, the noise can be deafening, the parking a pain but it’s for a few days only once a year.’
Mr Rush added: ’The organisers are pretty fair to residents. We all get a pass for the first night’s live band so you get your perks living here.
‘Last year there was a big problem with parking and everyone seemed to be getting tickets as they closed off roads in the village and banned parking.
’Some households with three cars were getting ticketed per vehicle over three days and there were so many complaints to the council and organisers. On family could get nine fines which is ridiculous!
‘We weren’t among them but felt quite sorry for those targeted. Apparently the council took pity and if they could prove they were residents they cancelled the parking fines.’
