15.11.20
Dear Planning Department
As part of a response from Nick Eveleigh on 10/11/20 (read it here), Chief Executive from Chelmsford City Council we were astonsished to read this statement:
“The Planning and Legal Services Departments of Chelmsford City Council are of the view that the current uses of the premises do not require a grant of planning permission.
We have come to the conclusion that the extent of current worship / religious teaching related use is not significant, given the wider, lawful, community use of the premises. This is based on our understanding of the extent of the current related worship use being (i) of part of the building on Fridays for a period of an hour to an hour and a half (or thereabouts) for prayers, and (ii) of a room on Saturday mornings by an external organisation (IQRA) for education, including some religious teaching.
It does not matter whether the use for religious activity is by members of CMS or an external hire. As long as it is a small part of the overall use of the building, it does not require planning permission or a certificate to state that the current uses are lawful”.
This is a huge change in position to the email sent to residents on 23/09/20 (read it here), and we have sent the following email to the Planning Department to ask for a detailed explanation:
“Re: HAMPTONS SPORTS & LEISURE CENTRE / CHELMSFORD ISLAMIC CENTRE
We have received an email dated 10/11/20 from Nick Eveleigh Chief Executive, on behalf of the Chelmsford City councillors. A copy is attached for your information.
As part of that email, Mr Eveleigh states that: “The Planning and Legal Services Departments of Chelmsford City Council are of the view that the current uses of the premises do not require a grant of planning permission”
This is a completely different position to that contained in the email sent out to local residents by your department on 23.09.20, which states :
“The planning and legal considerations in this matter are complex and highly technical, and it is for this reason that our considerations have been protracted. I can advise that based upon the information provided, it is the council’s view on balance that planning permission is required in this instance”.
The use of the Main Hall for congregational worship has never been an established and regularised use, and your email on 23.09.20 confirmed this by inviting the Chelmsford Muslim Society to apply for planning permission to “regularise the situation” relating to the reported breach of planning control.
Please can you clarify the council’s position, and should it be different to the 23.09.20 email, please could we have an detailed explanation of why the position has changed and any justifications for this”.