Closed Roads Consultation

[Robert Farrell]

Act Now!
http://www.msauk.org/uploadedfiles/n...losedRoads.pdf

[midgetman]

To judge by the griping on here about the disruption caused by Olympics/Tour de France/w.h.y. I think it's a pretty bad idea. It'll only upset local opinion and that won't help the public perception of "motor sport" one jot. The radio this morning seemed obsessed with a London GP, so local NIMBYs will be convinced that the first planning permission notice will pre-sage the arrival of Lewis Hamilton and hordes of spectators.

(Removes tongue from cheek)

[Al Weyman]

Watford town centre Ring road would be a cool circuit lol!

[Mike Bell]

Closed roads to me means not F1, but rallying, and if we in UK can join Ireland, IOM, Isle of Mull and most of mainland Europe by having stage rallies on closed public roads (like cycle races do ) then hope it happens. Best rallies I ever did were in Belgium and IOM on closed roads!

[TimRTC]

Birmingham Super Prix please...

[johngee]

Originally Posted by TimRTC

Birmingham Super Prix please...

That'll never happen unfortunately. Not only has the road network changed but, I am told, the Corporation sold/scrapped all the barriers some years ago.

[midgetman]

I was only half joking in my previous post. I know my glass is perpetually half empty but I think we could cause a great deal of harm.

Sorry to be out of step. I doubt anyone here agrees with me so I'll shut up now.

[johngee]

Half joking or not but I don't see this advancing motorsport, except perhaps some rallying. There are enough (more than enough!) restrictions on permanent circuits and hill climbs and I can't see many (any?) local communities having anything but opposition to any closed road events. I'm happy to be proved wrong!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by midgetman

I was only half joking in my previous post. I know my glass is perpetually half empty but I think we could cause a great deal of harm.

Sorry to be out of step. I doubt anyone here agrees with me so I'll shut up now.

Surely it is all to do with this dream of a London GP being touted again? We are, however, out of step with rest of Europe and IMHO our event in the WRC, whatever it is called, could be raised in profile with more choice of roads and therfore stages.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Surely it is all to do with this dream of a London GP being touted again? We are, however, out of step with rest of Europe and IMHO our event in the WRC, whatever it is called, could be raised in profile with more choice of roads and therfore stages.

I'm sure that an act of Parliament can be enacted for single events like the London GP, as was the case for the Birmingham event. Given how long it takes Silverstone to put up and dismantle temporary grandstands, I can't see the capital's citizens being enamoured with the disruption.

Anyway I thought the electric car series was racing in London next year?

[Wet marshal]

It will need a billionaire or two, to get F.1 on the streets..........

What about Swindon! including the Magic Roundabout.

[GORDON STREETER]

The way the country is at the moment powerboat racing would probably suit some towns !

[tbtstt]

All the important bits condensed into one post:

The full proposal can be read here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...ary_FINAL.docx

The government are asking for public response to the questions on page 23: I have shown them below (in bold) to save to you time, along with the MSA recommended answers.


Q1. Do you agree with the proposal to give local authorities the powers to allow motor sport events on public roads subject to the local consultation? If you disagree please give reasons.
Yes I agree. The UK leads the world in terms of motor sport with the industry generating an estimated £9bn for the economy annually and employing 41,000 people in 4,300 companies. Yet the UK lags behind much of the rest of the world, including the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, in not allowing motor sport events to take place on closed public roads.

Allowing motor sport events to be held on closed public roads will provide an economic boost to host communities; support the growth of UK motor sport and the associated industry; allow engaging events to be created; and create a valuable platform for taking road safety messaging to the wider public.

Q2. Do you agree that local authorities should be able to close roads for motor sport events? If you disagree please give reasons.
Yes I agree. Empowering local authorities to be able to close roads for motor sport events would represent a positive devolution of power. It will mean that local people, rather than politicians in Westminster, will be able to determine what happens on the roads in their region and will ensure that Parliament does not need to spend its valuable time debating whether or not to close a road somewhere in the country. It is an important principle that no organisation other than the Local Authority should be granted powers to close its roads, as this ensures that no event can be forced upon a region against the will of the locally elected Authority.

Q3. Do you agree that local authorities should have the power under certain circumstances to suspend the speed limit and applicable road traffic regulations? If there are any traffic regulations you would prefer not to see suspended, please give reasons.
Yes, I agree that local authorities should have the power under certain circumstances to suspend the speed limit and applicable road traffic regulations. This is on the understanding that the road traffic regulations are replaced by established and robust sporting regulations, as laid down by the MSA and ACU, to ensure that all events are well organised, properly regulated and fully insured.

Q4. Do you agree that the Motor Sports Association and the Auto Cycle Union should be the “Authorising Authority” for any motor sport events on public roads?
Yes I agree. The Motor Sports Association (MSA) and the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) both have many decades of experience of governing four- and two-wheel motor sport in the UK. The MSA is recognised by motor sport’s world governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), as the sole national sporting authority for four-wheel motor sport in the UK. The ACU is similarly recognised by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) as the national sporting authority for two-wheel motor sport in the British Isles. They are the only organisations with the experience, knowledge and resources necessary to act as the Authorising Authorities for any motor sport events on public roads.

With the MSA and ACU as Authorising Authorities, only drivers and riders who have been formally licensed for competition by the governing bodies would be eligible to take part in motor sport events on closed public roads. The MSA and ACU licensing structures are suitably robust and rigorously enforced to ensure that licensed competitors are suitably competent to take part in the motor sport events they enter.

Q5. Do you agree that the Sports Ground Safety Authority could provide valuable expertise and guidance to ensure motor sport events on roads can be delivered safely?
No, I doubt that the SGSA would be able to add value in this environment. Both the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU) operate comprehensive, long-established and successful risk management programmes for four- and two-wheel motor sport respectively.

Motor sport is a unique and complex sporting activity and requires specific experience and expertise to deal with its diverse events and venues, and especially to manage the risks associated with vehicles travelling at speed which is unique to our sport. It seems unlikely that the SGSA would be able to offer anything valuable in this context over and above the experts from the MSA and ACU, other than perhaps the facilitation of a forum for liaison with the necessary statutory bodies.

Furthermore, the involvement of another body simply introduces an additional layer of bureaucracy that inevitably adds costs to organisers and competitors alike.


At the very least copy and paste the above, or better still type your own reply if you have time and send it to:

msc@culture.gsi.gov.uk

[Derwent Motorsp]

As a very experienced rally organiser, this has been banded about for a long time, the success of the Tour of Mull and Jim Clark Memorial Rally shows that they can work in the right places and are welcomed by the local people. However running a rally like that takes a huge amount of work, almost beyond what a club can do.
There are only a very few places where you could run a closed road rally. You have to find a set of good twisty roads near a town with enough facilites, not in a National Park or an area with a lot of holiday homes. That's just for a start as you then have to get local folk and the local authority on side.
Here is Cumbria we have a long history of fantastic road rallies in the past but despite having great roads and some ideal towns as bases, I think the chances are are bout 1% due to two national parks and lots of holiday homes in the few areas outside the NPs.
Any rally would have to be a really big one to justify the effort and bring the income to justify it to the local community.
What I do see is the possibility of sprint and hill climb events. There are a number of "demonstration" events like the one at Kop Hill that could be made competitive.
What I find annoying is that the documents sent to clubs yesterday were all about rallies and hill climbs but then we get big news items on the TV about the "London GP" which was not mentioned by the MSA

[jamesholland]

At the risk of sounding facetious I think it might be difficult to find many roads in good enough condition to use.

[S griffin]

I see no reason why they can't bring back the Brum Superprix. Just build new barriers and find a diversion where the old route doesn't exist.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by jamesholland

At the risk of sounding facetious I think it might be difficult to find many roads in good enough condition to use.

Probably right. When the TdeF cycle race passes through rural areas of France on a new route, miraculously, and however narrow and unimportant the road, there will be brand new shiny tarmac for the skinny wheeled machines. Not that horrible chipping stuff we get, but proper tarmac!

Regarding Brumm SP, am sure if the demand was there and money was available it could be made to happen. Still not convinced about a London GP....

[johngee]

Originally Posted by S griffin

I see no reason why they can't bring back the Brum Superprix. Just build new barriers and find a diversion where the old route doesn't exist.

Who exactly are 'they'? It's unlikely to be the corporation, which has its' own financial problems and I can't see any commercial operator being interested in an investment for such a highly speculative return. The original Birmingham Superprix always 'lost' money and that was in a much more favorable financial climate.
Don't get me wrong - it was a wonderful event, in which I played a very small part but they were different times. I don't see this current interest in 'closed road events' having any bearing on the likelihood of the Superprix being resurrected.

[S griffin]

Shame. I just thought that it would be great to see it back. But I guess it's very unlikely. Stranger things have happened, but not usually.

[Robert Farrell]

Let`s apply some common sense here.
This is a consultation only.
This is not the green light for the British version of the Targa Florio or the Mille Miglia.
It is the first small step.
If nothing else it gives us the opportunity to show those in Whitehall the true depth of feeling and enthusiasm for motor sport in this country. (Not to mention volume of potential voters)
If for no other reason everyone with the slightest concern for the future of motor sport should respond.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by Robert Farrell

This is not the green light for the British version of the Targa Florio or the Mille Miglia.

Now THAT I would vote for!!!

Seriously, I would support the MSA in the consultation process and would encourage others to do so.

[SidewaysFeltham]

Sadly I fear, it will never actually happen.

Unfortunately, Britain has degraded to either sycophantically idolise grungy tattooed football oiks, soap opera "Stars", and supposed singers.

Anything much else, including sensible pursuits, immediately acts as a magnet to the health and safety brigade, Nimbies, interfering busybodies, feverishly quoting EU regulations and the army of Lefty-Liberal nutters, waxing lyrically about "Quality of Life": whatever that actually means.............

IMHO Formula One, thanks to the benighted Poison Dwarf, epitomises the core realities: nothing whatsoever do do with its true wondrous roots and no longer actually a branch of motorsport, generically, but rather, a product brand in its own right with one sole objective: viz, to earn the bloody dwarf more billions so he can waste this on his latest trophy arm candy and his slapper offspring.

Practically, with such a saturation of cars, dwellings and businesses, there is not much left on which to hold any meaningful event.

Even, as we know now, circuits and stadia are under increasingly hostile attack.

Realistically, no chance of holding any event such as Mille Miglia, Targa Floria, or even Mannin Moar or Mannin Beg, anymore.

The cost of liability insurance would be prohibitive: even where an area wanted to hold such event.

Still, in memory and nostalgia, I can treasure the fact of the club (TEAC and other clubs) rallies I participated in, during the early 1970s; on public roads: at night; and all apart from areas prohibited by the then authority, the RAC (in conjunction with the M. of T), on narrow back roads and "Yellows".

Now, they were bloody fun and harmed no one.



P.S. You can view some movie footage of the Mannin Beg here: all around the houses, Douglas, I of M.

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-mannin-beg

[Robert Farrell]

Bloody Hell!
Things must be grim "Darn Sarf"
Or is it just in Feltham?

I say again
It is the first small step.
If nothing else it gives us the opportunity to show those in Whitehall the true depth of feeling and enthusiasm for motor sport in this country. (Not to mention volume of potential voters)
If for no other reason everyone with the slightest concern for the future of motor sport should respond.

[Mike Bell]

We do already have an event here that mirrors the European tours such as Tour Auto- Tour Britannia. That could profit greatly from having closed public roads available.

Yes, IMHO we need to support the MSA on this.

[SidewaysFeltham]

Originally Posted by Robert Farrell

Bloody Hell!
Things must be grim "Darn Sarf"
Or is it just in Feltham?

I say again
It is the first small step.
If nothing else it gives us the opportunity to show those in Whitehall the true depth of feeling and enthusiasm for motor sport in this country. (Not to mention volume of potential voters)
If for no other reason everyone with the slightest concern for the future of motor sport should respond.

No personal connection to Feltham, Middlesex, Robert.

Nice place, I'm told............ particularly the Young Offenders Correctional Facility!



More seriously, I just wonder how many UK citizens actually follow "Motor Sport", generically?

Not F1 since it is no longer a sport, per se, but, as Sir Sterling stated, with clarity a few years back when interviewed on BBC radio by a young bubbly girly presenter, "Oh, it's not a sport, my dear; it is a business; and a very good business, too! Michael Schumacher earns more in one week than I did in my whole racing life!"

Stats:

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...t-analysis.pdf

Particularly of interest.............

http://www.the-mia.com/UK-Motorsport...ble-statistics

http://www.palgrave.com/PDFs/1403942897.pdf

If you really fancy a king sized headache, then you can cull data (such as it is!) from here!

http://segments.sportengland.org/res...usName=England