The Ramadan Review: By Residents
We’ve taken a few days to reflect on Ramadan and Eid 2024, and we’ve listened to local residents directly affected by Ramadan at the Hamptons mosque, something that our woke city council have never done. The quotes we have used are real, and have been published with the residents permission, or were posted in the public domain.
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OFF To a poor start, with immediate complaints
So with the benefit of the Traffic Management Plan, that the council paid for, and provided for free to CMS/Hamptons, we expected a lot of advance warning to worshippers about parking and marshalling. No chance, it all went up on social media, literally hours before Ramadan started. meaning that worshippers had little chance of seeing it.
Residents even took to social media to ask very politely that worshippers follow the guidelines:
“As a resident of the estate myself could we politely request the red no parking zone is observed. Last night there were numerous vehicles parking throughout our estate and in one case even in the middle of the road. May the lord bless you all in this holy month” - Resident S
There was a heated exchange between worshippers and residents in Westbourne Grove, where worshippers had parked on both sides of the road, narrowing the access for vehicles and emergency services. Why didn’t the worshippers use the overflow parking, just 5 minutes away ?
And there was far worse to come:
“I was abused yet again by them last night trying to get down Tydmans with my toddler in the car. Makes me so angry, not forgetting to mention that one of them driving a taxi actually spat at my car too”- Resident Q
“They all don't care about parking there do they, very rude people who go there, and all the think have right of way, even if trying to get to our homes, if they don't get their way they get very aggressive and rude”- Resident B
Resident T “March 14th to 18th I sent 4 photos that were shining headlights in my house. Ann (Silk) replied " I suggest you pass these pictures onto Sue Young the local Councillor I can't do anything they are allowed to park on the grass" From that day Ann left future messages of mine on 'unread',
Our own team observed over a number of nights:
Worshippers parking on the estate, in the red zone, especially late arrivals
Marshals abandoning their posts to go and pray
No marshals assisting the exit of vehicles from the site
Cars sitting on the areas marked zone C and D, lights on and some with music blaring
Worshippers parking inconsiderately in residential streets outside the red zone.
The additional parking at Gt Baddow High has been largely empty
The Traffic Cones supplied by SEPP are being used to reserve parking spaces, and are not being deployed along both sides of the whole length of Tydemans.
Mud being deposited on the highway from the use of the grass verges
And more problems were reported to us.
Resident M- “One (resident) who lives very near me asked if I had heard the ‘wailing’ from Hamptons during the night. I personally didn’t but apparently they had to shut their window - 3am ish.
The other person who lives very close the Hamptons building in Tydemans ask me if I heard the ‘wailing’ early hours the other day”
It is quite worrying that the call to prayer, the adhan, was loud enough outside the venue, that it woke residents up,
Ayman Syed Admits “We Can’t Control Worshippers”
And the issues with parking and disturbance continued throughout Ramadan, with the mosque marshals not bothering to stop worshippers driving into Clarion Gate and parking, despite overflow parking being provided at a local school.
A group of residents bumped into Ayman Syed, Chairman of the Chelmsford Muslim Society during Ramadan. He admitted that CMS can’t control where worshippers park, and that he couldn’t control the numbers of worshippers attending from beyond Chelmsford,
With the mosque becoming busier year on year, he did drone on and on about using the Tydemans Green for parking, with the intention of bringing even more worshippers to the mosque. It’s a no from us Ayman, the roads and parking are under enough pressure already.
The belated eid notification
Similar to last year, residents received the warning from the estate management about the “slight disruption” for the Eid celebrations way too late. What is the point of posting out warning letters by 2nd class on the 9th April, for an event happening on the 10th ?
Resident F- “We live on the Estate of Clarion Gate , and we received a letter this morning 13.04.24 that is dated 09.04.24 giving us warning of any disruption via Hamptons… this was sent by the management company who ‘maintain the site . A BIT LATE”
AND THE FINAL TWO FINGERS UP TO RESIDENTS
We’ll leave the final words with Resident T-
“We are 3 nights in to Ramadan and I am really at a loss of what I can do to have a pleasant evening in my own home. The long and short of it is Hamptons just do not care for the residents round here at all. I actually feel things are being done on purpose now as they know they can do what they want”