We received many complaints from residents regarding a planning application for a Celestial Church of Christ Worship Hall, at 1075 High Road. The application was refused twice locally and yet a National Planning Inspectorate based in Bristol, clearly aloof from our community have approved this nonsensical development.
The Celestial Church of Christ is a Neo-Christian sect (who have a codified book in addition to the Bible and hence have not been accepted within the Evangelical Alliance) and it is purported that they have an established history of fires in their premises due to their unusual religious practices. The location of this church within a large mesh of properties adjoining one another will exacerbate this risk and some residents have expressed significant fear for safety. The church will border a number of existing flats causing early morning and late evening disturbance and noise pollution. Moreover, the church has designed a building with a 120 congregational seating allocation, creating a real concern, that the existing parking burden will be magnified.
During a detailed review of the Planning Inspectorate's report Wilson uncovered disappointing news that the Inspectorate was forced to make a decision on this application bereft of important facts - due to the lack of provision of necessary documentation from our Redbridge Planning Team. Information on the local community and transport issues (parking in particular) have resulted in the Inspectorate declaring there is no stipulated requirement for parking or noise abatement. If the Church chooses to cut costs by saving on noise reduction schemes and introducing the 8 parking bays that have suggested (which are accessed via an easily blocked communal alleyway and are woefully deficient in an area with prohibitive parking), in a spirit of inconsideration - there is nothing our local Planning Team will be able to do to address such concerns. We are flabbergasted at the atrocious situation incumbent residents find themselves in and were mortified at a planning regulatory Committee meeting when Councillors including our own Gary Staight who was present - failed to recognise the concerns of residents when presented by Wilson and other Locals. We petitioned for the council to take responsibility for their failure to provide salient information to the inspectorate and for them to undertake a High Court Appeal against the dastardly decision that had been scuppered twice locally.
Our Councillors refused to let us debate the issue informing us we should make a complaint about the Council process - even after the admitted mistake by their Planning Officer. Juliet will be writing a complaint via the Council's registered procedure and will ask for a review of this travesty via the Local Government Ombudsman. We shall keep you informed of the outcome.
If you have any comments we would be pleased to hear them:
Ilford Recorder 18th December 2008.
Bristol Planning Inspectorate report.
Doc1, doc 2, doc3 and doc 4.
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