This is Leicestershire -- Protesters reacted with fury as controversial plans for a gypsy church were approved tonight. Nearly 150 people attended a meeting at Leicester Town Hall where councillors granted permission for the Life and Light Mission church to convert Aylestone Park FC's disused former clubhouse into a place of worship. Councillors voted by seven to two to approve the plan for the site in Dorset Avenue, Eyres Monsell, and were then confronted by angry residents shouting "Disgrace" and "You should be ashamed of yourself." Some people wept after the decision was made. The site sits on the edge of Eyres Monsell, and a large proportion of the residents were from streets just over the border in Oadby and Wigston. Paul Semaine, of Dorset Avenue, had earlier spoken against the development, said: "That decision is a travesty. Those councillors have not listened to the feelings of the community. "I hope people who live in the city take note of who these councillors are and vote them out at the next election because one day they might approve a bad plan near where they live." More than 1,000 objection to the plan had been lodged with planners before the meeting including concerns about the effect it would have on house prices and crime levels. During the meeting a number of residents and Eyres Monsell councillors had outlined concerns that Dorset Avenue was already a busy road and they feared the traffic of the worshippers would be unsafe and cause congestion. They said there had been huge traffic problems caused when the football club played there which would be worse with the new church. Others pointed out that the church would not serve the nearby community and that the building could be used local residents instead in some way." The city councillors on the committee however concluded there were no planning grounds to refuse the application. Committee chairman councillor Patrick Kitterick said the church was proposing 39 parking spaces - more than the club had previously. Committee member councillor Lynn Moore said: "There is an awful lot of anger in this room. "I hope the passion and anger is about the traffic issue. "I hope the source of the anger is not about the denomination of the group that wants to run the church." Nobody from the church was present at the meeting. Officials said it was one of the largest attendences ever at the council for a planning meeting.
Reported by This is 1 hour ago.
This is Leicestershire -- Protesters reacted with fury as controversial plans for a gypsy church were approved tonight. Nearly 150 people attended a meeting at Leicester Town Hall where councillors granted permission for the Life and Light Mission church to convert Aylestone Park FC's disused former clubhouse into a place of worship. Councillors voted by seven to two to approve the plan for the site in Dorset Avenue, Eyres Monsell, and were then confronted by angry residents shouting "Disgrace" and "You should be ashamed of yourself." Some people wept after the decision was made. The site sits on the edge of Eyres Monsell, and a large proportion of the residents were from streets just over the border in Oadby and Wigston. Paul Semaine, of Dorset Avenue, had earlier spoken against the development, said: "That decision is a travesty. Those councillors have not listened to the feelings of the community. "I hope people who live in the city take note of who these councillors are and vote them out at the next election because one day they might approve a bad plan near where they live." More than 1,000 objection to the plan had been lodged with planners before the meeting including concerns about the effect it would have on house prices and crime levels. During the meeting a number of residents and Eyres Monsell councillors had outlined concerns that Dorset Avenue was already a busy road and they feared the traffic of the worshippers would be unsafe and cause congestion. They said there had been huge traffic problems caused when the football club played there which would be worse with the new church. Others pointed out that the church would not serve the nearby community and that the building could be used local residents instead in some way." The city councillors on the committee however concluded there were no planning grounds to refuse the application. Committee chairman councillor Patrick Kitterick said the church was proposing 39 parking spaces - more than the club had previously. Committee member councillor Lynn Moore said: "There is an awful lot of anger in this room. "I hope the passion and anger is about the traffic issue. "I hope the source of the anger is not about the denomination of the group that wants to run the church." Nobody from the church was present at the meeting. Officials said it was one of the largest attendences ever at the council for a planning meeting.
Reported by This is 1 hour ago.