Permission Expires: the end of the (Green) Road?

Well well well.. how time flies:


I spoke to Justin Turvey, planning case office, who said that the planning had expired, and work may not start until planning had been resubmitted.

I then spoke to someone else to confirm that no work had started, and that no Building Control application had been submitted, so any work starting after Oct 2009 would be illegal.

Finally, I spoke to Bruce Tindall, head of land development, to ask what would happen to the land now. Here's where it gets cloudy - in a cabinet meeting on 17th March 2008 it says:

• The Trustees should be given a period of four years to raise the funding and build the new Mosque – within the legal implications of the 2004 report this was stated as being 4 years from the date of the Cabinet decision. It is considered that this should be amended to read 4 years from the date of signing the lease or 28th March 2008 whichever is the earlier. The Trustees are not able to raise finance until a lease has been signed.
• d. If the Trustees were unable to fund and build the project within the four-year period, the Council could then offer the site to other groups for religious/community uses; obligation in Lease to practically complete the Mosque. If not practically completed within 4 years then the Council can forfeit the Lease.
• e. A lease to be granted for a period of 125 years at a nil premium. The lease to contain obligations to fund and build the Mosque within four years and to ensure that the Mosque was open to all members of the public; appropriate wording included in new lease to be granted.

I then did a little checking around - this does NOT over-ride the planning expiration issue.

So, unless I and everyone I spoke to at Reading Borough Council are very much mistaken, for the Green Road Mosque to proceed would need another full planning enquiry and consultation, along with associated fees and public consultation.

Of course, this doesn't mean that the building plans would need changing, unless of course regulations, road layout etc had changed since the original planning consent was given.

Your comments on this post are welcome.