Friday 25 February 2011

Gaining Footholds…

Plans to convert a former pub to an Islamic education centre have been approved – to the dismay of some neighbours.

The former Dog Inn, on the corner of Revidge Road and Lynwood Road, Blackburn, will now become an ‘education and cultural centre’ and madrassa.
And so it continues…
Some residents opposed the plans…
As if the council is going to pay any attention to them
… and police were reported to have ‘serious concerns’ about road safety.
Ah. That might swing it, though.
Planning chiefs said it was impossible to know how heavy the traffic would be until the centre was in use, so granted a 12-month temporary permission.
And once it’s in use, even if it does prove to be a nuisance, who’d stake their political career on getting permission withdrawn?
Coun Dave Smith said: “It’s a better use of the building than a very busy pub.
Is it, Cllr Smith? Is it really?

12 comments:

William said...

Planning chiefs said it was impossible to know how heavy the traffic would be until the centre was in use, so granted a 12-month temporary permission.

Planners are all wankers who make the rules up as they go along.
Try rolling into their office with this 'justification' for your new build.

Anonymous said...

Oh do give over.

"Concerns over traffic" is standard nimby defense over ANY new development.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Oh fucking hell. Can we have Coun D Smith taken out and shot. Or preferably lashed and then stoned to death so he can experience first hand where he's leading us?

RAB said...

I wonder what kind of screams of outrage would be heard if it was the other way round, Mosque to Pub?

To be fair though, the pub doesn't sound to be doing much business like so many today because of the smoking ban.

Anonymous said...

The resisdents should have just had the guts to stand up and be honest.

"We don't like islam and islamists and want them to eff off".

Instead of hiding behind mealy mouthy "traffic concerns".

JohnRS said...

If the local residents are serious about stopping this (and after all it's their neighbourhood and not the planners) they should do what the Spanish villagers did when another new mosque was to be built in their town. They buried a pig on the land which rendered it unclean.

So, take over the pub, have a hog roast, hand out free bacon butties and pork sarnies. Bury what's left in the grounds of the pub. Maybe a few bits could be hidden away in the structure somewhere. Invite the local rag along to make sure everyone knows.

Ringmer said...

"We don't like islam and islamists and want them to eff off".

Since you clearly know what's really in their hearts perhaps you should be their representative ?

Anonymous said...

*Since you clearly know what's really in their hearts perhaps you should be their representative ?*

Oh, Im suuuure their real reasons where road traffic safety.

And I'm sure they all tried to have the pub closed down when they spotted people driving home drunk.

Pint sized said...

Gives a whole new slant on the tired old joke of an Englishman, an Irishman and a Muslim walking into a bar.

Ringmer said...

Your gift for knowing the "real" reason people do things is truly uncanny.

The pub arrived with the houses ; a nuisance it may or may not have been.

That does not necessarily mean that it's valid to swap one nuisance for another.

JuliaM said...

"Try rolling into their office with this 'justification' for your new build."

I suspect I'd get short shrift. The key seems to be not to ask in the first place, but to just do, and then claim victimhood.

""Concerns over traffic" is standard nimby defense over ANY new development."

Yes, it's a tried and true tactic.

"Or preferably lashed and then stoned to death so he can experience first hand where he's leading us?"

:D

"I wonder what kind of screams of outrage would be heard if it was the other way round, Mosque to Pub?"

I wonder if that has ever happened?

JuliaM said...

"The resisdents should have just had the guts to stand up and be honest."

It's the polite British way of doing things. Though I can't help feeling that the Spaniards in John R's example have a much better way...

"Invite the local rag along to make sure everyone knows."

The response would be 'Errr, we're washing our hair...' I'm sure!

"The pub arrived with the houses ; a nuisance it may or may not have been.

That does not necessarily mean that it's valid to swap one nuisance for another."


And I can't see what the council gets out of it (other than a tick in the diversity box). The pub would have paid business rates - the mosque is surely exempt?