Your Opinion Counts
We are expecting to receive a determination next week (w/c 07/09/20) from the Planning Department which will decide whether a full change of use is required to use the Hamptons as a Place of Worship.
The latest submission from the Chelmsford Muslim Society is that the two large rooms (over 200m2) and the large wudu (ritual washing) facilities are just for under 30 centre users and staff who might be in the building at prayer times. The capacity of the two rooms if used for worship is over 300. There are also plans to spend £15,000 on carpet, which we would suggest is for the main hall.
This is how we think the real layout would look, with capacity for prayers calculated
Any informal grant of permission would be unenforceable in the future by the council, since it would establish the use as a Place of Worship without conditions.
We have overwhelming evidence (here) that the long term plan of the Chelmsford Muslim Society is to convert the whole building to an Islamic Centre and use any or all of the rooms for worship (effectively dodging the planning permission process). Using up to date floorplans, the ground floor alone will hold 1191 worshipers.
the impact on the residential amenity and the hamptons as a community facility will be catastrophic.
All through this process, we have asked the Planning Department to just simply invite the CMS to apply for formal planning permission. Let the local residents take part in a formal consultation and let the Planning Committee decide. This has fallen upon deaf ears.
Recent developments have seen the Chelmsford Muslim Society using the main hall at the Hamptons for worship on Fridays, and attempt to conceal the use. They are aware that they do not have planning permission to do so, and until any determination is decided by Chelmsford City Council this is illegal.
Despite supplying the Planning Enforcement team with video and photographic evidence 6 weeks ago, no enforcement action has been taken and the breach of planning control continues.
At this point it’s vital that everyone makes their feelings known to your local councillors, and the Planning Department (please focus on the whole situation not just the planning breach).
It’s just two emails and would take 20 minutes:-
Without your help and support, this could spell the end of the Hamptons as a leisure facility.