Paultons Park appeals for help to save The Edge

Paultons Park in Hampshire, England has appealed for support in its battle to keep The Edge attraction in place.

The park has been ordered to dismantle the ride, the only Zamperla Mega Disk'O Coaster in the UK, by the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA). The order came after a neighbor located 700 metres from the Edge complained about noise levels, from the attraction itself and those riding it,

Paultons Park claims that it has "proven" through acoustic surveys that the ride cannot be heard over other attractions at the park. It also says that alternative locations for the ride would place it closer to the complainant, increasing any potential noise issues.

An application to keep the ride and The Cobra rollercoaster was narrowly rejected by 7 votes to 5 in October 2009. The park has since succeeded with a follow-up application that only covered The Cobra, and hopes to do the same for The Edge with a new application to be submitted soon.

Fans of The Edge who would like to support the application through two routes:

• Online, by using this form on the NFNPA website.
• In writing, by sending a letter of support to:
  Laura Harry,
  Planning Officer,
  New Forest National Park Authority,
  South Efford House,
  Milford Road,
  Everton,
  Lymington,
  SO41 0JD

Letters must clearly state that they are in support of the application (number 10/94874). All comments must be made by February 24, 2010.

Noise compliants are a familiar problem for UK theme parks, particularly those in areas of natural beauty. Alton Towers, in particular, has regularly suffered from issues around both the noise generated by its attractions and the visual impact of them. This has forced it into innovative solutions, such as building its Nemesis rollercoaster partially below ground level.