'No paramotoring' signs installed at park

A council said it had installed signs warning against paramotoring at one of its parks after residents reported "increasing activity" in the area.

Broxtowe Borough Council put up the signs which say, "no paramotoring" in Weir Field Recreation Ground in Beeston on Tuesday.

The authority said the activity created health and safety risks and those taking off and landing at the park had not been granted permission to do so.

Local residents have reported increasing paramotoring activity at the park over the last year, the council said.

A spokesperson for the authority said anyone carrying out paramotoring must obtain permission from the landowner under the Civil Aviation Authority's Paramotoring Code of Safe Practice.

"The council has not received any requests or granted permission for paramotoring on our land.

"The code also states that paramotoring in any area accessible to the public brings a risk of endangering people on the ground.

"For this reason, our parks and open spaces are not considered suitable locations for this type of activity," the spokesperson said.

The authority added that it did not hold any "formal statistics" for reports of paramotoring in the area.

"There are concerns both from a health and safety perspective and regarding the noise disturbance to nearby residents.

"Signage has been installed on site as it is often very difficult to identify who is undertaking the flights unless officers are present at the time," a spokesperson added.

Claudia Kuster, 54, a health and running coach from Lenton, said she enjoyed seeing the paramotors in the air.

"I like them because they are nice and colourful.

"I haven't seen them recently, I think it was probably last season when they were out.

"If they want to paraglide then why not, they send nice photos back. I am for them, not against," she said.

A local resident, who did not want to be named, said the sound of paramotoring "terrified" her dog.

"For us personally it is quite inconvenient and it's a built up area. It's just the noise that they create, it's a very low humming noise and it's quite disruptive to us as well as our dog.

"It can be quite early in the morning and quite late at night.

"He won't go out for his normal walks. The fact that he is too scared to go out for his walks because of the noise is really hard for us," she said.

Another resident said the activity concerned him and he was "worried about the dangers with kids being around".

He said: "They are noisy when they come over and it does worry me about them landing if it is an emergency landing and there are children playing on the Weir Field because it is a great place for recreation and a place for people to come down to.

"Also if they misjudge it, they catch the powerlines, what could happen there?"

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