The Times
LONDON, ENGLAND, August 1, 2003: A Hindu prayer hall in Hounslow, England, has been granted permission to continue holding services for another three years. Residents of the area had complained of increased traffic and smell from spicy cooking and incense and had called for enforcement action to stop activities at the hall. But a decision was deferred three times. The Shree Jalarma Seva Trust, which conducts services and prayers at the hall, was granted permission last week to continue its activities with conditions attached by the Hounslow Central Area Planning Committee in a vote which split councillors. The issue began in 2001 when an outbuilding behind the Hussar Public House was first used for religious and social gatherings. The building was later extended, an extractor duct installed and a portable building erected without planning permission. Residents have continually complained about the noise of worshippers coming and going, driving the wrong way down a one-way street, noise from a PA system, the sound of drums and the smell of cooking and incense. The neighbors are upset. One lady who represented people on Gloucester Road was asked at the meeting if she likes curry. She replied that she probably likes curry and eats curry, but she doesn’t want her curtains smelling of it. On July 24, council officers again called for an enforcement order at the Hounslow Central Area Committee meeting but councillors voted to grant the trust another three years to operate as a prayer hall. Councillor Bob Whatley, vice chair of the Committee, told the Times the committee had been split over the decision: “It was certainly far from unanimous. The idea is to try to work with them to find a more suitable site.”