Planning Breach At The Hamptons
We are disappointed to bring you the news that the Hamptons Sports and Leisure Club has been used as a Place of Worship for the last four Fridays (starting 31/07/20). This consititutes a material change of use, and requires planning permission. This was of course predicted by local residents at our meetings way back at the start of the year.
We alerted Planning Enforcement on the 31/07/20, as did a number of local residents (and every subsequent Friday that followed with new eveidence). After a month of being patient with Planning Enforcement we have decided to make some of our evidence public.
The Chelmsford Muslim Society (who own and operate the club) are quite aware that the building does not have the appropriate planning permission for this use. Documents we obtained using the Freedom Of Information Act show an email exchange between Robin Hosegood (Strategic Development Team Leader Chelmsford City Council) and Ayman Syed (Gen Sec of CMS) on 27/01/20 where RH states “I do appreciate that one room in the building is used for worship at present and as far as I am aware no planning permission has been sought for this”.
Regardless of the use of the room for meditation classes by the European Buddhist Hanmi Association (2014-2020) no change of use permission (to include D1 Place of Worship use) has ever been registered or granted for this building, so any new D1 (PoW) use is a planning breach. The orginal grant of permission for the building can be viewed here.
While the level of harm to the residential amenity is relatively low (at present), in our opinion it’s a deliberate and contrived attempt to establish an illegal use at the premises. Why conceal the use by only advertising it at the last minute, why was no warning given to local residents or club members (something else CMS promised to do) and why attempt to hide the worshipers entry and exit by using an entrance at the Ridings side (instead of the main doors).
We are also concerned at the really poor level of Covid awareness being shown by the worshipers and staff. Lack of distancing, handshaking, cross contamination using a temperature gun and standing around chatting have all been witnessed by our team (and is evident in our video).
Let’s not have any excuses about the Covid crisis, many other local places of worship have accommodated their congregation by doing online prayers or multiple prayers sessions.
Over the last 5 years the Planning Enforcemnt team have dealt with dozens of planning breaches by virtue of change of use, all we are asking here is that this breach is enforced and at the very least a temporary stop notice be issued. The Town and Country Planning Act must be applied fairly and evenly to all.
We are very keen to resolve this issue, and it would be entirely appropriate for Planning Enforcement to invite the CMS to submit a formal application for a change of use. This would allow all local residents the chance to a proper consulatation, with the decision being made by the Planning Committee.
We will continue to gather and supply evidence of this breach to Planning Enforcement, who have yet to formally respond or act.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please contact Planning Enforcement to report this breach here.
Please contact your local councillor to let them know your opinion on this issue here.
Join our mailing list to get the latest information here
Raise a complaint with Chelmsford City Council here.
