Councillors don't have to live here (From Bucks Free Press)

Councillors don't have to live here

10:22am Tuesday 17th October 2006 in

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RE: THE decision of Wycombe District Council to allow Wycombe Islamic Society (WISE) to open a new centre for worship in Station Road, High Wycombe. The council said the society can use the building for one year while it looks for another site.

DESPITE 90 letters of objection, three petitions of well over 100 names, around 30 neighbours present, and the support of both our local councillors, the Development Control Committee chose to ignore our concerns and pass the application for the WISE Muslim Centre at Station Road purely on the basis that it is only "temporary".

Last year WISE put in the same application for "permanent" use of the building, but apparently were advised by the planning officer to change it to "temporary".

We all left the meeting extremely disillusioned.

Station Road lies at the heart of the Saffron Platt Conservation Area and is one of the few remaining character parts of this town.

The area is primarily residential and many of us will be greatly affected by this centre.

We make the following points: l Temporary use - we experienced this last year when WISE used the building. On one occasion a funeral was held - the street was completely blocked and all the surrounding roads were gridlocked by cars.

l Residential area - is it fair for us to live near a building which will be in use from 4am-11pm every day of the week? The programme of activities is substantial with prayer meetings five times a day and endless community events mainly in the evenings and weekends.

l Numbers attending will overwhelm the area - over 100 attend the Friday prayer, and a similar number attend every evening during Ramadan. With the exception of one or two, all are from outside the area, mainly Totteridge and Bowerdean.

l Inadequate parking - only five off-street parking spaces are provided. We pay for our residents' permits and need to park our cars.

l Neighbours - the residential property next door has a roof terrace directly overlooked by the building and understandably the owner is very upset.

We are disappointed that the committee was so reluctant to discuss in detail our concerns. Why is it that these decisions are made by people who do not live in the town itself, but the surrounding villages?

Is it right that we, the neighbours, are now left to monitor what is basically a mosque for the next 12 months?

Indeed the committee wanted merely to move onto the next item on the agenda and chose not to discuss our objections in any detail.

After all they don't have to live here do they?

Nancy Bloomfield Aveling Road High Wycombe