Covid 19 Guidelines vs Planning Permission.
We have received dozens of messages and emails from angry residents, asking why the police are not enforcing Covid 19 guidelines at the illegal Place of Worship held at the Hamptons.
The Covid 19 guidelines are quite clear (read them here). There are special exemptions for Places of Worship, the most significant is the permission for communal gatherings of more than 6 people:
“Limits for communal worship should be decided on the basis of the capacity of the place of worship following an assessment of risk”
There are also some requirements that the centre must meet:
“Limits for communal worship should be decided locally on the basis of the capacity of the place of worship following an assessment of risk. The number of people permitted to enter the place of worship at any one time should be limited, should maintain social distancing between households or support bubbles.
The size and circumstance (including ventilation) of the premises will determine the maximum number of people that can be accommodated whilst also facilitating social distancing; this may therefore be lower than the maximum 30 people who can attend a funeral, or the 15 who may attend a wedding or life-cycle events (special events gatherings).
The safe number of people should be decided by the venue manager.
In defining the number of people that can reasonably follow social distancing, the total floorspace as well as likely pinch points and busy areas should be taken into account (such as entrances, exits) and where possible alternative or one-way routes introduced”
We should mention that guidelines specify one way systems, separate entrances and exits (which the Hamptons have provided), but clearly do not make the worshippers use.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
The section right at the top of the guidance is the clincher. And we can only suggest that the local officers missed it.
the applicable legislation shall prevail !
Simply put, no planning permission and you don’t benefit from the exemptions awarded to registered and legal Places of Worship. A resident did raise this point last week with the police who seem to guard the Hamptons every Friday (a wonderful use of taxpayers money). Their response was “it’s just a technicality”. No it isn’t, read the guidance properly officer !
We’d also like to point out that the Hamptons is not a community centre either, it’s a Sports and Leisure Club with separate and quite different Covid 19 Guidelines (read them here)
A member of the GBENA team also raised this question on social media to Essex Police on 25/09/20.
Again, read the guidance properly officer !
Could you declare a random building a Jedi Temple (a recognised religion), and invite 54 mates round to “worship” ? Of course not.