Ice rink Residents forced to use earplugs to block out noise from generators

RESIDENTS are having to buy earplugs to cope with roundthe-clock noise from the diesel generators powering Cheltenham’s ice rink.

Cheltenham Borough Council leaders gave full backing to the installation of a rink in Imperial Gardens to bring festive cheer to the town this winter.

And more than 30,000 skaters are expected to use it over the six weeks it will be in operation.

But it could be a difficult Christmas for those living closest to the rink.

Imperial Square residents say they are having to buy earplugs to tolerate the noise.

The generators are said to be in operation all the time and Councillor Chris Mason (Con, Lansdown) has asked council leaders if they would apologise for the harm caused.

“We’ve had complaints before about diesel generators in this space,” he told last week’s council meeting.

“Umpteen times the residents have raised it.

“I’ve heard members in this council say, ‘Oh, it’s those people in Imperial Square, they moan a lot.’ I genuinely think they have a reason to moan.

“Residents are buying earplugs. This noise is going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We are two and a half weeks into it and we still haven’t changed anything.”

He said one resident described the noise as like having an engine running outside your bedroom all the time that you expected would stop but didn’t.

“This council put the generators in. This council is causing harm,” Cllr Mason said.

Culture, wellbeing and business cabinet member, Victoria Atherstone (Lib Dem, St Peters), apologised for the concern caused by the issue.

She said the sound levels were assessed by an acoustics engineer, who confirmed the generators would have a low impact.

She admitted that more needed to be done and said the main issue seemed to be low-level vibrations. She assured councillors they would continue to look into sound mitigation measures.

“Some of the measures have reduced the vibrations by making alterations to the way it operates,” she said.

She added that an alternative generator was being considered, and moving a generator to a different area, which could reduce vibration.

She added: “Yes, I do apologise that this is causing such concern.

“I believe we’ve done nothing incorrect in the procedures that we have followed. However, we are certainly learning and we have made significant improvements already.

“I’ve been informed that it has helped. We are looking forward to the overall use of generators at all events and hopefully this will be an issue of the past going forward.”

This noise is going on 24 hours a day, seven days a week... and we still haven’t changed anything

Cllr Chris Mason