ken555
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 04:32 PM |
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Bye Bye Mallory ?
It is with great regret that Mallory Park Motorsport Limited has today announced that the company has been put into Administration. Mallory Park has
been operating as a motorcycle and car race circuit for many years and has much history attaching to the circuit. In 1985 a highly restrictive Noise
Notice was attached to Mallory Park Motorsport Limited (‘MPML’) embracing all circuit activities but, significantly, a number of the provisions within
the Notice were very much open to interpretation.
MPML has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council over the years and a level of understanding had been
established to work within the 1985 Notice. Regrettably, however, this arrangement was placed under scrutiny by local residents some of whom were new
to the village, who made representations to HBBC to apply the rigid interpretation of the 1985 Notice.
MPML and the local authority worked extremely hard with the residents to find a compromise solution but, unfortunately, the council decided to
prosecute MPML on five charges of the Notice during 2012 which involved operating on a Saturday over and above the four days agreed in the Notice. The
court hearing took place in August 2013 and ruled that MPML was guilty of this breach on the five occasions, but MPML was given the right to take the
establishment rights of the 1985
Notice to a higher court.
The immediate implication of the Court decision was to oblige MPML to observe the provision of the 1985 Notice, which allows only for 40 days racing
on Sundays per annum (but with a dispensation to allow four Saturdays per annum) and testing on Wednesdays. MPML was accordingly obliged to cancel
all track day operations, resulting in a significant loss of income (a situation also felt by local businesses and local employers) and use of the
track for local community activities – young driver training etc. Overall, the imposition of such restrictions has inevitably led to MPML having a
financially unstable business plan.
Following the Court case, MPML immediately implemented the highly restrictive conditions of the 1985 Notice, thus effectively reducing the circuit
activity to two days per week. Significant losses were being incurred which no business can sustain. It was clear that a more dynamic approach needed
to be taken to overcome the significant hurdles and two weeks ago MPML developed an innovative three stage Recovery Plan to take Mallory forwards
which would hopefully meets the wishes of the residents and form the basis of a viable business.
Very constructive dialogue was held with the Leader of HBBC and senior officials and we were receiving very encouraging reactions from them to the
Plan. A fundamental component of the Plan was the agreement of the Land Owner to reduce the annual lease rental, which had risen by over 40% over the
last eight years and had reached untenable levels. Very regrettably, despite intense work by the MPML board, the Land Owner – Titan Properties Ltd –
refused to make a substantive offer to allow the Recovery Plan to proceed.
British Automobile Racing Club were keen to support MPML (and did so up to the final race meeting yesterday by paying for certain essential supplies
allowing the meeting to place) and indeed would have supported MPML to ensure all its trade creditors were paid. To that end, it needed the support of
the Landlord with a sustainable rent but, regrettably, this was not possible to achieve.
Accordingly, having no firm visibility into 2014 and beyond, MPML directors had no option but to place the company into Administration.
The administrator, Ian Robert of Kingston Smith & Partners LLP, commented: “I will be working with all the stakeholders to ensure that Mallory
Park will see racing again. I hope the administration process can assist in finding a solution which will be beneficial to all parties concerned.”
He continued: “To that end, I will be negotiating with the landlord and the council, with the support of the BARC, to ensure that racing can be
enjoyed at Mallory Park for years to come. Although it is early days, I am hopeful that, once a solution to the lease is found, all of the company’s
creditors should receive a substantial dividend, which I understand is very much the driving force behind the continued support of the BARC.”
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Xtreme Kermit
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 04:41 PM |
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That's very sad - let's hope a way forward can be negotiated. 
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Dingz
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 04:58 PM |
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Yes very sad, sounds like people move into houses next to a race track not thinking that there might be races there! Quelle surprise!! I remember
seeing Hailwood, Agostini, Reed and Ivy there, no houses near then.
Phoned the local ramblers club today, but the bloke who answered just
went on and on.
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omega 24 v6
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 05:10 PM |
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How many jobs has that cost then?. Not good. Hope the incomers are happy, when the local shops etc have to close, due to the lack of revenue, that
this activity undoubtedly generated in the local community.
If it looks wrong it probably is wrong.
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theconrodkid
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 06:03 PM |
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thin of the wedge ?,how long before any form of fun is banned ?
who cares who wins
pass the pork pies
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motorcycle_mayhem
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 06:04 PM |
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omega - The incomers will be delighted.
This is the future, but it's also the present. All the circuits (with a few exceptions) are suffering to a greater or lesser extent.
Sensitive circuits (e.g. Combe, Goodwood, etc.) have strict noise levels imposed upon them, that then have to be enforced on the competitors (who I
wish wouldn't complain at the circuit, it's the NIMBY's and Gummit that should bear their wrath). I was black flagged at a Brands
trackday a few weeks ago for excessive noise, when you can hear the A20 traffic on the circuit from all angles. The Nimbys have it.
We should all be good quiet citizens, working, paying taxes, buying houses, fuelling greed and watching X-Factor on our phones.... that is all our
lords require.
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nick205
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 06:15 PM |
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Electric vehicles would really help, but will probably come too late for a lot of circuits.
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scudderfish
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 07:07 PM |
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They aren't squeaky clean in this, they've been operating outside of the rules for 30 years and a court pulled them up on it.
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Pat_T
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 07:19 PM |
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as the crow flies I live just under 3 miles from the circuit. When the wind is just so and the A47 is quiet I can hear track action from my garage as
I work on my own cars.
I will miss the sound
www.instagram.com/patroclueus
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jeffw
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 07:58 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Dingz
Yes very sad, sounds like people move into houses next to a race track not thinking that there might be races there! Quelle surprise!! I remember
seeing Hailwood, Agostini, Reed and Ivy there, no houses near then.
There is way more to this than that. The press release is being more than a little disingenuous.
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scimjim
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:24 PM |
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whoever was at fault in the past is now irrelevant. It's a brown site - I wonder how they'll cope with the alternative of their village
being turned into a commuter town - should get a thousand dwellings on there - that'll be much quieter? 
I've lived on or near active military runways my whole life and now live on a new development (on the site of an old airfield funnily enough)
and know which I prefer!
The wishes of a minority ruin it for the majority once again
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iank
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:34 PM |
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IIRC In the past some "Clever" people have bought cheap houses near a circuit, started complaining till they got it shut down and watched
their house prices rocket.
Those ones really don't care about the local shops as they'll either be selling up pdq before the site gets developed or are commuters who
do their shopping at the most convenient supermarket on their way home.
[Edited on 30/9/13 by iank]
[Edited on 30/9/13 by iank]
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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nick205
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:40 PM |
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Reading the press release again, it smack of the land owner being happy for the track business to fail. probably leaves them free to put the land to
far more lucrative use. If it's inhabited around and about, then housing will be high on the list and probably an unintended (and unwanted)
consequence for the locals who've objected.
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perksy
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:41 PM |
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Its official, Having fun is now banned
Next stop will be Carb's are outlawed and everything with 4 wheels has to have a cat fitted 
I liked Mallory and had great fun hooning around in an Elise when they first came out, but even then the folks at the track said the neighbors were on
their case
If you move to a house near a circuit it should be pretty obvious it ain't gonna be as quiet as a David Cameron supporters club meeting 
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chris-g
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:43 PM |
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The land is no doubt worth considerably more as a building plot than a race circuit, or the rents raised from a race circuit.
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morcus
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 08:53 PM |
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As above, everything at the moment is pointing to a housing boom just around the corner.
Just down the road they had a simillar issue at Filton Airport, lied about profits to get permission to turn it into houses, and as soon as the last
planes left they put huge wholes in the runway so it would need work to be reused as a runway. The Plan backfired though and now the company has to
pay out to repair the runway as it was making profits.
I would guess that in reality it's this rather than noise complaints.
I really don't understand how they can have these noise complaints about motor racing in the day when the police are free to fly a helicopter
over my house almost every night about 1am, and the council can arrange a weekend of night work just down the road from me on a round about that
I'm sure will be far more disturbing.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
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ReMan
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 09:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Pat_T
as the crow flies I live just under 3 miles from the circuit. When the wind is just so and the A47 is quiet I can hear track action from my garage as
I work on my own cars.
I will miss the sound
Here here.
As others have said I wouldnt trust any of HBBC and hope that if it closes the closest objectors enjoy any alternative
www.plusnine.co.uk
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jeffw
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 10:04 PM |
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Read this and get the other side of the story as well
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1259354&mid=45965&i=220&nmt=RE%3A+Mallory+Park%27s+future+in+doubt&mid
=45965
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bi22le
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 10:23 PM |
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Im not into pointing fingers and blaming as I dont know the whole story. I am just gutted that I won't have the chance to go there and sample a
great historic track.
Makes me want to do as many track days in different places as possible. Support the circuits and experience something that i genuinely expect my
children will never have the opportunity to do.
Track days ARE the best thing since sliced bread, until I get a supercharger that is!
Please read my ring story:
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/forum/13/viewthread.php?tid=139152&page=1
Me doing a sub 56sec lap around Brands Indy. I need a geo set up! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHksfvIGB3I
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JacksAvon
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| posted on 30/9/13 at 11:19 PM |
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I am sure that Mallory have slightly bent the rules over their operating days.
I am equally sure that there are local elements who just loath Mallory.
But should it all end in tears I doubt that all the residents of Kirkby mallory will be delighted.
Nearly 1000 new homes are possible on the site.
Given the Governments plan to increase social Housing that developers have to include in total houses built per developement, this could lead the
lucky locals to have 200-300 social houses built in their 'rural'village.
This will leave them with an infrastructure that can not cope with the increased population, traffic and noise.
While I am sure that Albanians, Rumanians etc are lovely, the 'village' idiots of Kirkby Mallory may not think so.
Social Housing also brings with it its own 'dynamic'.
In Short, their 'village' will no longer be a village. Good luck with all that then.
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jeffw
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| posted on 1/10/13 at 06:08 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by JacksAvon
I am sure that Mallory have slightly bent the rules over their operating days.
You REALLY haven't read the thread on Pistonheads. The default position seems to be 'shouldn't live next to a track if you
can't stand the noise'.
Well Mallory have a license to run 85 noisy days a year. In 2011 they did over 160 including un-silenced bike trackdays, drift days (including at
night/evening) as well as MotoX & Musica Festivals. They hosted events like Japfest which lead to very long tailbacks in the village (4+ hrs) and
all the people leaving these events need to show how fast/loud their car is on the way out. They have had drift day guys practising on the the local
roads on the way to and from the circuit.
All this is far cry from what you would expect on a normal circuit....
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richardm6994
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| posted on 1/10/13 at 07:35 AM |
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I don't want to see mallory go either.........but it's operators have been complete idiots and only have themselves to blame for the
position they are in now.
Mallory have been licensed 92 noisy days per year since 1985......however their most recent buisiness model for them to be a profitable company is
based on over 160 noisy days per year!! They have stated that without at least 160 noisy days per year it would not be viable to continue........but
the 92 day limit is nothing new to them so why on earth have they based a buisiness model on breaking a previously agreed limit???
At a minimum, they should have applied for more noisy days back in the late 90's / early 00's when the rule wasn't being rigidly
imposed by the authorities. I understand that back then maybe they didn't want to draw attention to the fact they was going over the
limit....but that decision has now come back to bite them!!
Even if additional days was not approved back then, they could have changed their buisiness stratagy early on and avoided the heavy fines that
they've now incured because of breaking the rule in 2011 (it's this fine that has now killed them plus the fact that they won't be
allowed 160 noisy days per year so it's just easier to pack it all up)
Also from what I've read. it was japfest and drifting etc...that was the final nail in the coffin....the tail backs through the village, fast
driving, wheel spinning on public roads late at nite....
So all in all, Mallory have shown bad buisiness and completely ignored all the warnings they had before any offical action was taken........it's
hardly suprising what is happening.
I sincerely hope Mallory sees racing in the future as I love standing in the infield at the john cooper esses and watching cars fly past me less than
30ft away but with all the housing developments happening I think we've seen the last of Mallory racing.
If you're going to blame anyone, blame the track operator...(rant over)
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jeffw
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| posted on 1/10/13 at 07:58 AM |
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indeed
They (BARC) also may substantial changes to the circuit surroundings (tree felling, large viewing banks etc) without planning permission which
increased the noise levels.
Miss-management of the worse type.
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JacksAvon
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| posted on 1/10/13 at 08:13 AM |
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I will leave this now to the pompous tub thumpers
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matt_gsxr
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| posted on 1/10/13 at 08:19 AM |
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Given the clear significance of the site, I am surprised it doesn't come under consideration as a Listed Building.
That would certainly slow the developers down.
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