Hi all, for those of you who aren't aware of this, Alton Tower's "Oblivion" is in danger of closing and being dismantled. Check out coasterforce.com

I hope not, They could try scream guards to make things quieter. The complaint about fireworks is stupid too, It only happens once a year.

I think it's more the noise the actual coaster makes, rather than screams, that is the issue. I read that it produces vibrations that affect surrounding houses.

I think the claims are unfounded, how can a ride 3 miles away produce vibrations in the houses, thats a load of bull. Also, apparently the couple who had the legal battle against AT acutally own a pottery, and people are planning a legal fight against them due to the industrial noise produced by the factory. I hope they lose so they get a taste of their own medicine. I doubt AT will get rid of oblivion, It cost too much and they would try sand filling and malliboomer style scream guards to make things a bit quieter.

The track is filled with sand, and is quiet. The drop does face towards the village, so screams are probably the biggest concern here, though I'm not willing to take a stand on vibrations, since I'm no structural engineer and know nothing about subsoil. I would suggest though that a scream guard would go a long way to satisfying the concerns of the locals. Still, judging by the latest these people have set standard and will get some back. All I can say is all of a sudden Alton's local population doesn't seem so bad after all.

Seen how the cars make the fog in the tunnel go crazy as they pass through? A 3 tonne car around 5m wide hitting a hole not much wider would definitely cause vibrations. I don't even doubt that the Ropers could feel it at their home. Having said that, their case is totally off base and I don't think there's any chance it'll go much further. If appeals get turned down (can't see that happening), then Alton Towers would sooner buy them out than dismantle a £7m (AUD$18m) attraction that is also one of their signature attractions. As far as I know, it already uses all the standard noise-dampening techniques already, and scream shields would ruin the ride and I think be totally impractical on a ride like this.

whoa! this is a disaster, Oblivion looks like a pretty sweet ride. Regardless, if it can happen to a roller coaster near a middle of a CBD (Big Dipper @ Luna Park) Im sure it can happen to poor ol Oblivion, it would be crap if it did go though.