Councillor Chris Brazier "I'm sorry but I felt it was the best thing I could do"

11:27am Tuesday 9th February 2010

By Alexandra Barham

RESIDENTS of London Colney were furious when planning committee member councillor Chris Brazier opted to withdraw from discussions over a controversial application to site a mosque in the village, tipping the balance in favour of the scheme.

The controversial application to convert Cemex House, in Barnet Road, into an Islamic centre was given the green light at a planning committee meeting last night, despite strong opposition from residents, citing parking, traffic issues, road safety and noise as prime objections.

But the meeting took an unexpected turn when cabinet member for planning Councillor Brazier, who had opposed an almost identical application last year, opted to withdraw from the discussion after allegations he had demonstrated a personal prejudice on the matter.

St Albans Civic's Society's Peter Trevelyan acting for the applicants argued that planning officer Alan Moorhouse had been silenced on the issue for similar reasons ahead of the original application, refused by the same committee in November last year.

After hearing representations from both parties, chairman Geoff Harrison used his casting vote to approve the application.

While members of the Muslim community celebrated their victory, tempers flared among the hoards of residents who turned out in force to hear the committee vote on the application to temporarily convert the use of the building for a period of up to three years.

One resident, who did not want to be named, told the Review after the meeting he felt let down and betrayed by Councillor Brazier, who had been given permission by the district council's legal department to vote on the application.

Reacting to resident's anger this morning, Councillor Brazier, who represents Colney Heath, said: "I had a letter from Peter Trevelyan that arrived at the council offices the same morning of the meeting and I didn't see the letter untill I arrived at the meeting an hour before.

"As I'm planning portfolio holder and member of the executive it was abit awkward for me to be on the committee when the letter had been delivered that day. I thought it was better that I withdrew so there were no allegations linked to the letter after the committee had made their decision.

"I don't think residents should be disappointed that I withdrew because residents didn't know how I would vote.

"I felt angry that the letter came on the morning of the meeting and gave me no time to deal with the allegations.

"The permission is for three years, we now need to monitor the numbers, the attendance and the affect it has on the area."