Please click here for Gavin’s post on this
Below the fold, the entire text of Gavin Boby’s submission at the Dudley planning council.
You have no power to grant this application.
- Contrary to Appeal condition 8 imposed at the planning appeal
Blackacre Road only used by emergency vehicles and service vehicles.
The plans show the quick entrance to the car park is from Blackacre Road, straight off the bypass, without going down the long driveway.
Pedestrians too: park in Flood Street, cross to Blackacre Road.
The Applicants are using you as an appeal court to get out of a condition they don’t want to obey.
You have and power to do this.
- Traffic problems
115 cars and 14 disabled vehicles.
This is for 73 full-time and 39 part-time employees, 750 worshippers, service lorries, and emergency vehicles. Plus visitors from the general public!
The roads can’t take it. 1 lane on each side. 2 hours minimum for 150 cars to enter this congested car park.
Tailbacks will stretch onto the bypass and King street. Someone will get hurt.
You have no power to inflict such dangers.
- Design
Huge dome. 63 foot minaret. Dominate the gateway to Dudley and to rival Dudley Castle. The applicants admit this by producing no context drawings or sections.
This ugliness is dealt with by your Design Officer. You can’t overrule him without good reason.
You have no power.
- The restrictive covenant
The mosque had to complete the building by December 2008.
You’ve no power to grant a permission that has no chance of being implemented.
- Your powers re islam
Propagating islamic doctrine is contrary to incitement law, public order law, hate speech law, and equalities law.
The Koran calls 3 times for unbelievers to be killed wherever they are found, and 14 times for unbelievers to be enslaved.
Propagating such a doctrine is contrary to English law – there is no way to sugar coat that.
If you assist something that is outside the criminal law, you can face criminal investigation or civil liability for doing something ultra vires your powers.
You should refuse this application.
Good, now if the decision will be upheld.
Be positive Richard. I am sure it will be and the excellent Barrister who did the submission will make the Councillors abide by the law of the land and that means the law of England and not Saudi Arabia. A good step forward. A telling point he made concerns the ugliness of a mosque. It has no aesthetic appeal. The standard formula a dome with a minaret or minarets meant to dominate the skyline. Give me a beautiful cathedral built with love any day. Milan, Berlin, St Peters, St Pauls, now those are fine cathedrals. I could mention many others but you get the point. Mosques are just ugly and plain to look at.