How We Win

Gavin Boby of Law and Freedom has scored another victory. He sent out an email earlier today describing his recent success against the Brent mosque, and looking ahead to the coming challenges in Leeds and other locations in the UK.

How We Win
by Gavin Boby

We’ve won 16 out of 17 mosque cases that we’ve fought — a 94.11% success rate.

That could be beginner’s luck, right? Maybe we just keep stumbling on four-leafed clovers.

So I thought I’d drill down into one of our recent wins where the evidence is online.

Please see the Brent case, here, our last win but one. Our brief write up is here.

We hit the ground with this application on 20th October 2012. Please see the Council’s comments page, here: 298 comments in total, and all but 10 of them were objections. Pretty strongly worded, too.

You’ll see that this application was registered on 14th September, and had only got 2 comments by 20th October, when we got involved. But the reaction was immediate. See the objections from 20th October onwards. This is how we won.

When the refusal notice came through, the refusal reasons (see here) were very similar to the objections we suggested local people might like to use in their letters (see here).

The reason I’m going on about this is to show that:

• You have to get ordinary local people to register their objections with the Council;
• Ordinary people don’t want a mosque near them, and are keen to register their objections if they know (a) how and where, (b) that it isn’t a stitch-up, and (c) the they can win;
• If you help people in this way, Councils have to take notice, and you will win.
• Other than that, let Councils know that they’re on the hook for their decisions. Be relentless. Push.

Things got worse for mosques in 2012. And in 2013 they’re going to get worser.

If you’re British, please consider submitting an objection to this application:

Planning application for a mosque at: The Lingfield, Lingfield Drive, Moortown, Leeds LS17 7EL

Application No: 12/03250

By Post to: Planning Department, Leeds Council, Leonardo Building, 2 Rossington Street, Leeds LS2 8HD
By Email: [email protected]

Online: Google “Leeds Council Planning Application Search”; click “Simple Search – Leeds City Council”, enter “12/03250”; click the “Comments” tag; click “Login and make a comment”; leave your name, address, email and password; wait for the confirmation email and click the link to the objection web page; then write in your objection, and click the “submit” button.

The UK Islamic Mission (“UKIM”) have applied for a “community and welfare centre” that is really a mosque: almost 5,000 sq feet; open from 8:30am to 11:00pm, every day; 2 huge halls; and no women’s changing room for the gym. This is gross over development. And the traffic and disturbance will harm this quiet, congested, residential estate, with such busy roads and existing highways problems.

Write to the Council (address above) to let them know that this proposal is not wanted or needed.

Do not just copy and send this document. It is a list of points you can include in your own letter to the Council:

1. Parking and Congestion

There are few Muslims locally. The mosque will attract outsiders by car, particularly from Carr Manor, which is what this area will become like. The local pub, which people walk to, did less harm. The roads are already congested and can’t handle such increased traffic. Especially along Lingfield Approach, where the bus stops on both sides of the road, opposite the parade of shops. The result will be unacceptable: illegal parking, overspill onto other roads (Lingfield Hill, Lingfield Mount, and Fir Tree Approach), blocked driveways, harm to road safety, local amenity, and community relations. Local residents need public transport, which will suffer badly. The 2 large halls, totalling 2,000 sq feet, will attract more attenders than parking allows, as is evident from residents’ letters.

2. Disturbance

It will attract car journeys from the small hours until late at night. Especially during the school run and rush hour. And during the summer months and Ramadan, when opening hours will be unenforceable. It will generate unacceptable pollution, vehicle noise, and disturbance. Why else do the Applicants pretend that it is a “welfare centre” (with such long opening hours, and no changing area for women!)? This is not a community facility, because it is intended for a specific sector. It will harm local shops and employers.

3. Community relations

This mosque will bring in outsiders, with no connection to the area. This is where letters in support of the mosque have come from. This is unsafe so close to four busy schools (Allerton Primary — 300 students; Allerton High — 1,100 students; Brodetsky Primary; and Primley Park Nursery School). Local Councillors have a particular public safety responsibility toward the children, and should not take this risk.

Previous posts about Gavin Boby and the Law and Freedom Foundation: