18.10.20
The Bottom Line.
It’s been a busy 7 days for the council propaganda machine. By now most of you that sent emails to the council, police and ward councillors would have received almost identical replies from all of them. It’s almost as if they are all using a prepared script, which of course they are ! They want to shut down public interest, and try to placate the growing anger at the lack of enforcement by the planning department. The council should not be downplaying the harm and impact of a deliberate breach of planning control.
In reponse to our email to the Planning Department we received an answer quoting National Planning Policy Framework (the government’s planning masterplan). Here’s what they said.
In fact the full text from the government website has a slightly different tone.
Are the Planning Department maintaining public confidence by doing nothing since July 31st 2020 ?
What makes this all the more frustrating is that we’ve seen correspondance between the Planning Department and Chelmsford Muslim Society from all the way back in January 2020, informing them that no planning permission to use the Hamptons as a place of worship existed. But they still went ahead and did it anyway ! A proportionate response would be to issue a stop notice while the Chelmsford Muslim Society apply for planning permission, by doing nothing the council are rewarding this deliberate and wilful breach.
The council have invited the Chelmsford Muslim Society to submit a planning application, but will not tell the public if there is a timescale. Remember that CMS took eight months to submit their rather fanciful “small multifaith multifunction prayer room” idea to the council. Without the prospect of enforcement, there is no reason for the Chelmsford Muslim Society to apply for planning permission at all. They may just continue to play the system.
We note that the Hamptons Sports and Leisure Ltd Facebook page is now describing Friday prayers as “ CMS temporary prayer service”. Temporary ! It’s already been open three months, how much longer does “temporary” last ? Six months ? A Year ? The Chelmsford Muslim Society have a fully Covid compliant facility in Moulsham St, but will continue to use the Hamptons illegally…unless the council stop them !