RE the article Community split over parking permit plans (December 4).

Citing the maximum capacity of the respective mosques is indeed very misleading. The claims that the after sunset congregational prayer falls within the restricted zone time is totally untrue.

This is blatantly incorrect as Maghrib (after sunset congregational prayer) does not clash with the permit time zone as wrongly claimed by the no-permit campaigners.

Colleges and university are walking distances away from the mosques, making it redundant to travel by car. During the whole year most, attendees make up of residents within the zone area and have never reached full capacity during dhuhr (mid-afternoon congregation) and asr (late-afternoon congregation).

Only a handful come from distances away from the mosques. Furthermore, asr can be held at 3pm or later when the restricted time ends, which makes only dhuhr within the time restriction.

For those handful of people, who may travel by car, provision has been allocated.

Local businesses are all within walking distances. Businesses very far from the zones have their own local mosques. A mosque's capacity and actual attendance are completely different scenarios. The only prayer is dhuhr which would fall in the restricted time the attendees are hardly from outside walking distance and the total attendees’ averages 50 to 60 attendees at most on average.

The no-permit campaigners have alleged that both the late afternoon and the after-sunset prayers would adversely be affected in the permit zone times. This is false.

Promoting and spreading such false information clearly mislead the community and the petitioners who signed their petition signed on a false premise.

The Congregational prayers are central to the community and have clearly misled many towards the no permit opposition as a result.

Plus, special accommodation has been made for Friday congregational prayers where the mosque can potentially be in full capacity every Friday and during Friday prayers in Ramadhan.

For this very reason, the time zone is only restricted to noon every Friday so that no one is inconvenienced. Friday is the only congregational prayer in which many travel distances and thus by car to perform their prayers. All this has been carefully been thought through and accommodation made accordingly.

Thus, the no campaigners claim that “it will create problems for hundreds of worshippers”(Bolton News November 28 and December 4) is again entirely false.

With regard to Ramadhan, the majority of attendees are waking distance away. Those outside a mile zone can attend their local mosques. In fact, it is more rewarding to walk to the mosques then coming in cars.

Again, it’s only one prayer which is in the restricted time, the noon prayer, where the congregation are fewer in numbers and those wanting to come from a far can avail themselves in the allocated areas and the mosque car park.

The very same organisers who are spearheading the campaign in opposing the permit have chosen to be oblivious and their contention is incongruous of the fact when lodging the planning application for Ashrafia mosque that the submissions made clearly stated “officers are mindful that a significant proportion of users travel by walking to the mosque and the site is well related in terms of public transport”.

Yet the no permit campaigners are encouraging more vehicles to the Ahrafiyya Mosque in stark contradiction to their planning application.

Furthermore the no campaigners have not come up with any constructive, practical and constructive solution which they also accept the area faces.

Yes to Permit Campaign Support Group