Keep Off The Grass !!

The grassed areas around the Hamptons Mosque are a source of concern for local residents. Their use to increase the parking capacity, will further allow the Chelmsford Muslim Society to expand their plans for the biggest mosque in Essex, all done without planning permission, so far.

The Governing Planning Permission.

So the site plans approved as part of the revised application 08/01872/FUL, show the land owned by the Hamptons mosque (marked in red), with the designated parking spaces clearly marked. The grassed areas we’ve labelled as A,B and C.

A. The public open space (owned by clarion gate estates).

Previously used by the Marconi Club as overflow parking, despite not actually owning the land.

Local residents have spoken recently with Ayman Syed from CMS, who thinks that the Marconi Club cutting the grass for 15 years, gives CMS some kind of claim of ownership, and right of use.

As early as 2020, CMS were making plans to geogrid the POS and use it:

It’s fairly clear that CMS always believed that the continued use of the POS for parking, would be approved.

When the ownership was clarified, the landowners made it clear to the Chelmsford Muslim Society, that it didn’t belong to them, and it couldn’t be used for parking or for activities linked to the “sports and leisure club”.

This POS could easily accommodate an extra 130-140 cars, and added to the 149 spaces onsite utilised during Ramadan last year, could create 280-290 spaces for the mosque.

• Can you imagine the impact of 280 cars all heading for the Hamptons mosque en masse !

• Can you imagine the noise and disturbance to the nearby residential properties !

• Can you imagine the impact of the access roads to the estate !

• Parking on the POS would be just a few metres from residential properties.

• How much damage will that cause to the large central tree with a preservation order on it

• Did you sign up for this when you purchased your property ?

B. Land to the north of the tennis courts

Part owned by the Hamptons Mosque (in red on the plans), part owned by Essex and Suffolk water. who lease the use of the land to the mosque. A large water mains runs through this section, and development is prohibited, as is the alteration of the level of the surface land.

Chelmsford Council have recently informed CMS that planning permission is required to carry out engineering works on this section of land.

C. The Verges Adjacent To The Tennis Courts

We estimate an extra 25-30 spaces are being utilised here, and despite the claims of that nice Mr Syed, it’s only really been used regularly this year.

The issue with this space is that it’s just 4m from residential properties, it’s not part of the approved plans, causes noise and disturbance, and traffic flow problems.

And that’s before we talk about highway safety, where worshippers are driving recklessly on and of the grassed verges, leading one worshipper to collide with a residential property opposite. He then left the scene of the accident. Thank God no pedestrians have been injured so far.

The council are “happy to allow” occasional use of the verges, the affected residents are not so happy, and weren’t even consulted.. During Ramadan they are used two or three times a day, and throughout the year as overflow parking for the mosque and madrassa.

Year On Year growth of the mosque

We are already seeing considerable year on year growth of the Hamptons Mosque. Given the dreadful public transport locally, more worshippers=more private vehicles.

In just a few years time, CMS will be using the main hall for prayers on a weekly basis. What was 200-300 worshippers every Friday, could become 400-500. So where do you park 400 cars ?

Even using every available inch of their land, CMS can’t park more than 170-180 cars onsite. leaving a shortfall of 230 spaces.

And then what will happen ?

KBO