The Belgrave Leicester Residents Group (BLRG)

Introduction

The Leicester Hindu Community seems to be at some sort of a cross roads. To understand the issues, please see

1. The letter dated 30.10.17 from Federation of Muslim Organisations to LCC planning Chair Ted Cassidy

2. The article published on 11.12.17 in Injamatt Salaah Timetables by BEC – Claiming objectors of Belper St of being political & anti-Muslim.

3. Facebook page “Spotted HSE” on 25.01.18 calls for 200 supporters to turn up at planning meeting on 31.01.18 to support the BEC application.

4. Hindu Consensus to deal with the allegations and planning.

Following the meeting called by Shree Sanatan Mandir with a request for Gujarat Hindu Assoc. to help get their members and contacts to attend and help address these important issues, the following outcomes were agreed by the 100+ attendees.

1. Sir Peter Soulsby, Elected Mayor – A draft will be sent out for All organisations to write in.

2. Federation of Muslim Organisations (FMO) – GHA to write to FMO on behalf of the Hindu organisations and community

3. Leicester Council of Faith – Letter to Fayyaz Suleman of Fusion Consulting Services who is also the Chair of LCoF.

4. Objections to the 2nd application and report – Only about 50 had objected and more need to go in the next few days.

5. The planning meeting on Wed 31/1/18. Request for pooling of cars.

6. Media – ALL enquiries for comment or interview to be referred to Bhartiben Acharya and Mukesh Naker.

Recommended response from BLRG & the Hindu Community –

1. The planning officers in both the Dec. 2017 and the Jan 2018 reports have recommended refusal on planning grounds. However, the Belgrave Education Centre (BEC) with the support of FMO have as early as 30.10.17 turned it into a communal / Islamophobia / hate speech issue without material evidence against the Hindu community. Everyone has understood the purpose and the outcome they want.

2. BEC have pushed this political/faith pressure group tactics/ agenda. BLRG have followed the planning rules agenda without bringing faith into it.

3. The planning application considerations have to follow Council’s planning policies and Government guidelines which are very specific. BLRG debates and consultation submissions have followed these requirements and based on these, the resubmitted planning application which has no substantive material changes from the previous application, should now be rejected by Councillors. The planning officer recommendation is for refusal and the planning committee should therefor reject the application. If they want to approve it, then whoever is proposing for approval, will have to clarify which planning criteria are they using to recommend approval.

4. The allegations of Islamophobia, impact on community cohesion, dragging faith into this planning related issue is now spreading poison in community relations which is very regrettable. The fact is this is not the criteria on which planning applications can or should be decided. BLRG, its members and supporters along with The Hindu Community have refrained doing anything that creates tensions or politicises the planning process.

ACTION POINT

How should the Hindu Community respond on 31/1/18 (the committee meeting date)?

Using pressure tactics to frighten Councillors is not a civilised way to make a point. The Hindu and the wider communities need to support Councillors to do the right thing in rejecting this application as recommended by officers based on planning criteria only. We need to ensure that there is a significant number of residents who will attend the meeting to give Councillors moral support and help them reject this application which does not meet Council’s planning criteria as pointed out by officers.

LCC Planning Committee Meeting on wed 31/1/18 at 17.30 @ LCC, City Hall, 115 Charles St, LE1 1FZ

Who should attend?

We encourage the 90+% local residents who are objecting to this planning to attend to see democracy and justice being heard and done. As should those people who use the local facilities in the Belper St area and feel they would be impacted.

Dhanyavaad and Pranaam

Mukesh Naker

Communications Officer for BLRG

Mobile – +44 77 1313 7425 * Email – belgraveleicesterresidents@gmail.com

BLRG

We would appreciate it if any of your contact details are not correct or up to date – please email back with an update.

Dhanyavaad and Pranaam

For those able to attend please send me a Text or Whatsapp message to 07713137425 with your full contact details. If anyone needs a lift, please send a message asap. Equally those willing to offer a lift, please text.