Council rejects Hucknall rollercoaster plans over scale and visual impact
Ashfield District Council has rejected Mellors Group’s retrospective planning application for a 50ft rollercoaster in Hucknall, saying its scale and prominence make it intrusive and out of place. The decision could mean the ride is dismantled, after neighbours complained about its appearance, noise and proximity to their homes.
Residents say they have lived beside the unfinished track for around 18 months, with test carts passing close to their houses and some reporting that straps left out in the wind make a crashing noise. The council also said the ride would detract from nearby Grade II-listed RAF and Rolls-Royce hangars. Mellors Group says the application was misunderstood and it hopes to address the concerns; it has indicated it will contest the ruling.
In short
- Council rejects planning application for Hucknall’s 50ft rollercoaster.
- Neighbours cited noise, views and privacy concerns.
- Mellors Group says it hopes to resolve the concerns.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The council’s case is that a 50ft ride of this scale and prominence is intrusive in its setting, particularly beside homes and near listed hangars whose character should be protected. Residents’ reports of noise and prolonged disruption also support taking the impact on the surrounding community seriously.
The case against
Mellors Group’s case is that the application may have been misunderstood and that the planning concerns could be addressed, allowing the attraction to remain. A rollercoaster can bring leisure and economic activity, so the decision should weigh those potential benefits against its visual and local impacts rather than treat its presence as unacceptable in itself.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Taken for a ride: Towering 50ft rollercoaster to be torn down over its ‘excessive’ size after neighbours complained noisy cart testing was driving them loopy”.