City planners advise councillors to reject mosque
Plans to build a mosque in Lincoln could be halted following a recommendation by city planners to refuse the application.
Lincoln City councillors will make the decision at a meeting of its planning committee on Wednesday, but planning officers have recommended that they refuse the application.
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An architect's model of how the mosque would look.
The recommendation in the planning committee report states: "That planning permission is refused because of the unacceptable harm which the traffic and parking demands generated by the use will have on highway safety and on the amenity of local residents."
It will come as a blow to the city's Muslims who have struggled to find a site to suit their needs.
But it is good news all round to a group of campaigners in Lincoln's Church Drive area – the proposed site of the new mosque – who have battled the proposal all the way on the basis that the area would not be able to cope with the traffic it would bring to the area.
Jean Flannery, vice chairman of Boultham Residents' Association said: "We welcome the recommendation.
"The amount of traffic is growing all the time, that is the problem. People park here to go into town and to the university.
"We do have sympathy with the Muslim community in this."
The Muslim Association of Lincoln applied for permission to build the two-storey structure on the site of the former St Matthew's Church in Boultham Park Road, Lincoln.
These were approved in June last year but just weeks later the building – popularly known as the tin tabernacle – which had stood on the site for almost 100 years, was reduced to a pile of ash after a fire ripped through it.
For more detail on the planning process, see Friday's Echo.
43 Comments
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by Jean, Church Drive
Friday, October 09 2009, 5:07PM
“Anyone who reads the Planning Objections, which give the reasons for the recommendation, can see that this site is just not suitable for the mosque - traffic and parking issues plus a building that is too big and not in keeping with the area. The planners work out that 84.9 parking spaces would be needed. The mosque could hold up to 946 people...
It belongs in the city centre, close to buses and trains, where it will not be intrusive.”
by billoflincs, Lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 5:06PM
“Well SHEP,
apprantly you thought I could keep my opinion to myself as it was only my opinion.
I trust you can count and please coun the amount of posts on hear and NOT 1 is for the Mosque in this area.
I think that is case closed!!!!!!!!!”
by Emma, Lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 4:21PM
“"I am English Mike but i am not sure that is relevant to this situation."
It isn't. It's just that some people think it's impossible to be both English and Muslim, because they don't understand the difference between nationality and religion. We call those people "morons."”
by Emma, Lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 4:09PM
“"well said mike Cycott with a few more young men like you the county would be a better place"
The same mike cycott who admitted he's served time in jail? Yeah, he's exactly what this country needs. Bigot.”
by lynn, lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 4:04PM
“Mabel, take one look at Matt's English, then look at yours, no contest, your the Muslim in disguise!”
by Mrs Mabel Cordell, Lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 3:29PM
“Well i think matt is a muslim in disguise, its used to be like that in the war time, well said mike Cycott with a few more young men like you the county would be a better place”
by matt, lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 2:31PM
“I am English Mike but i am not sure that is relevant to this situation.
I know the Church Drive area and its history very well as. I am also aware of many of the details of this application and the issues involved (both for and against).”
by mike cycott, branston
Friday, October 09 2009, 2:19PM
“Hi MATT - r u english ???????”
by MIKE CYCOTT, Branston
Friday, October 09 2009, 2:17PM
“for anybody in need try leicester / bradford -there are some lovely mosques in thoses cities
theres no need to change the carbon foot-print with any more un-wanted buildings ...”
by Matt, lincoln
Friday, October 09 2009, 2:13PM
“As i understand it, the Muslim Association have applied to purchase various local land near to the Church Drive site for the purposes of car parking. Also, they approached the City Council to enquire about the possibility of a land swap. This surely shows that the Muslim Association themselves have doubts and misgivings about the site and its ability to handle the volume of traffic a mosque would generate. If they have doubts then its understandable that the residents have them too.
This area is a quiet, residential one that is already busy with traffic from commuters etc. It is clear that it could not handle the level of traffic that uses the Grandstand site.
As Amanda says, the final decision has not yet been made but surely the application flies against many areas of council planning policies and therefore it should be rejected. Clearly, the best solution is a land swap with an area within the city that is served with good amenities such as car parking, bus routes etc.”