Statement 23/10/20
The Save The Hamptons (STH) team formed in January 2020 to voice the concerns of local residents and club members regarding the future of the Hamptons Sports and Leisure Club. Our campaign is focused on retaining the vital community use of the building, in an area of Chelmsford where there is no alternative facility. We have no issue with the right to worship or Islam in general.
Our mission is to inform, encourage consultation and public discussion of the plans of the Chelmsford Muslim Society who own the land, building and business.
We have always maintained that any plans to use the Hamptons as a Place of Worship constituted a material change of use, and would need formal planning permission. In documents we obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Chelmsford City Council informed the Chelmsford Muslim Society on January 27th 2020 that no planning permission for this use existed.
On July 31st 2020 the Chelmsford Muslim Society began using the Main Hall for congregational worship, which constitutes a breach of planning control by means of a change of use. We reported the breach to the Planning Enforcement team the same day (as did dozens of other local residents). We received a notification on the 23/09/20 that Chelmsford City had invited the Chelmsford Muslim Society to submit a formal planning application to resolve the breach of planning control, but would not be taking any formal enforcement action to stop the use.
In recent weeks, we have seen a concerted effort by Essex Police, Chelmsford City Council council officials and elected ward councillors to downplay the situation, and stifle public interest. Suggestions that the venue has been used for congregational worship before are a complete fabrication, as are the claims that Friday prayers are a third party hire. The breach of planning control continues and is now accompanied by a highly visible police presence at Friday prayers, which is causing alarm and anger amongst local residents.
We feel it is time to show Chelmsford City Council that the public are frustrated and angry at the lack of enforcement action, and will not tolerate delaying tactics. This situation must not be allowed to drag on and on. With the prospect of no enforcement action, the Chelmsford Muslim Society are under no legal obligation to submit a planning application or cease the illegal use.
To this end we have created an online petition to Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council, calling upon him to instruct the Planning Department to commence enforcement action against the Chelmsford Muslim Society.