frequently asked questions
Was the Hamptons about to be sold to property developers ?
Fake news . There is no evidence to support this. In light of the nearness of existing residential devlopments and the current infrastructure (roads and parking), any further proposed residential developments would never be approved by Chelmsford City Council.
Were the Chelmsford Muslim Society the only bidders ?
No. We have spoken at length to another local business who tried to buy the venue at the end of 2018. They were told by the agent that the venue had been sold. Fundraising and the purchase took the CMS a further year.
Is the closure of the bars a serious issue ?
Revenue from the bar, events and private hire account for about 80% of the venue’s income. Without this the venue is not financially viable and unsustainable as a business.
Why would the new owners make the business non financially viable ?
In planning terms a non financially business would be looked upon more favourably for a change of use application.
Can I still book a room ?
We know that one group have been told there’s no space to accommodate them. Other groups are not being allowed to book regular sessions, being told that it would have to be on a week by week basis. We are contacting other regular users, to find what issues they are having.
There are lots of numbers being posted on social media regarding the number of worshippers, what’s the real capacity of the venue as a Place Of Worship ?
Hamptons is a little over 2000 square metres, and has a layout allowing multiple configurations. The capacity is over a 1,000, and could be as high as 1,500.
Surely the onsite parking is adequate to accommodate the expected numbers of worshippers ?
The council policy for the provision of car parking is 1 space for every 10m square of floorspace. Using this formula, the venue would need to provide in excess of 200 spaces, it currently has 98.
How serious is the parking issue ?
On busy days, there are concerns about emergency vehicle access. When the car park is full, centre users are parking on the pavement at the narrowest part of Tydemans, in residents bays and on the grass. This has been documented for a number of years. Adding days when there will extra parking pressure will make the whole problem a lot worse. Visit our Parking Nightmares Gallery here.
How bad will any additional noise and disturbance be ?
Muslims can pray up to 5 times a day. Friday prayers are the busiest on a weekly basis, currently attracting up to 300 worshipers at about 1.30pm. There are two Eid festivals (one at the end of Ramadan, and one two months later) which could attract over 1,000 worshipers. Ramadan normally attracts slightly larger numbers for the five daily prayers and begins at 3.30am and ends at about 10.30pm. The main access road is 2m from peoples homes. More info here.
Do the new owners need planning permission to use it as a Place Of Worship (D1) ?
We believe they do and we are seeking clarification from the planning department. The current use is classed as Sui Generis, a term used when a building has parts of more than one use class. We believe this is based on a D2/A3/A4 combination, which we now dispute. A list of use classes can be found here.
If the new owners apply for a change of use, what can I do ?
As local residents we would encourage you to formally object to any planning application.
Can the council force the new owners to continue to offer the same facilities it does now ?
No, it’s a private sale. Provided they comply with planning and use regulations, they can do pretty much what they like.