I REFER to the report (October 23) about the application to the planning committee from the Azhar Academy to vary the existing planning permission granted for a learning centre at 20 Devonshire Road to unrestricted use of the premises as a place of worship.

The original application stated that the academy was to support Muslim children in integrating with the wider community. It went on to say that the proposal fits in well with the planning policy guidelines to reduce the reliance on the car and to create facilities to foster good community relations. It would also help to improve the traffic management of the site.

I do not live near Devonshire Road but I was at the Area Forum meeting, three weeks before the panning meeting, where a number of local residents expressed their anger about the proposals including an Asian couple who stressed that it was not a racist issue. Those present complained that Devonshire Road was chaotic on Friday nights and Muslim festivals with people coming from all over with the result that it was no longer a local facility as stated in the original application.

The volume of traffic and parking was a major problem preventing neighbours from accessing their properties. The noise late at night also kept them awake. Cllr Morris made light of the matter by saying that it was important to note that the main issues about the application were about parking.

It is the job of the planning committee, which consists of mainly Labour councillors, to act in the interests of all members of the community and make a judgement about an application. In this case, they opted out of their obligations and delegated their responsibilities to the Director of Development and Regeneration to make the decision.

What sort of a message does that send out to the electorate when Bolton Council ignores the views of the local community in favour of a minority?

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