Somerset Council will need to find the money for noise cameras in Cheddar Gorge if that technology is to be used locally to combat nuisance driving at Gorge car meets.
Noise cameras work like speed cameras, but instead of recording speed they detect vehicles that have been modified to be as noisy as possible, which is illegal. There's a human review of footage and fines are then issued to the drivers. The technology has been extremely effective elsewhere in England, most notably in central London.
Following a question in Parliament today, a Department for Transport spokesman said, "The Department for Transport conducted roadside trials of noise camera technology between October 2022 and February 2023. Reports of these trials, including detailed assessment of the technology’s performance and potential merits, were published on 17 March 2024. Overall, the trials demonstrated that noise cameras currently have the potential to be used for enforcement, but only when accompanied by human review of the recorded evidence, which is likely to lower the cost effectiveness of deploying the technology in many circumstances. The Department has no current plans for further trials.
"It is ultimately for local authorities and the police to consider what the most appropriate enforcement routes may be for addressing issues with excessive vehicle noise within their area. The use of noise camera technology has already been taken forward by some local authorities."
Graham Godwin-Pearson, who campaigned with Jeff Savage and James Heappey to trial the technology in Cheddar in 2022, says, "It's a shame that the DfT is no longer pursuing noise camera trials. This technology may be relatively niche, but is extremely effective in urban areas that suffer from nuisance driving and deliberately noisy cars, such as Cheddar.
"The council should now consider noise cameras for Cheddar Gorge, to accompany the TTRO that's available to the police. Ultimately, an automated system is likely to be more effective in the long-term."
