Our story about the church leaders being taken to court to force them to stop using their headquarters as a place of worship has sparked a big response.
Like any journalist, I spent the early part of my career sitting through boring council meeting after boring council meeting, and as a result I'm well aware planning law can be a complex issue.
Some perfectly innocuous-looking applications can be turned down not because of the impact the plans themselves would have, but because of the dangers of setting a precedent if you approve a building's change of use.
That said, seeing the Emmanuel Inspiration Church of God dragged through the courts leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, and you have to think this is a case where a little more common sense could have been applied.
Croydon clearly has a growing problem with gang culture and knife crime and, regardless of religious beliefs, this church can only be having a positive impact in the community.
To be fair, the council holds its hands up when it gets things wrong.
The recent story about the pensioners being warned they face prosecution over their plastic flowers is a case in point, and I believe the decision to pursue this latest legal action is another.
2 comments:
It might be a nasty taste in the mouth but try being a local resident. This bunch of people simply keep ignoring the local council who asked them to turn off their amplification equipment, shut windows and maybe put in some air conditioning.
If they had done the above then the local community would not have gone mad about them.
They have brought this case upon themselves when (for a change) the council was being reasonable and supportive.
The local community has not been racist or anti religion. They have simply wanted a bit of peace and quiet.
Why could the Church not have tried to fit in to their local community???
Why should a bunch of people be above the planning laws, just because they call themselves a church?
It doesn't matter what you claim to believe, or who you are, the planning laws are there to protect the local residents and their environment.
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