SCOUT HUT READY TO OPEN AS CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Scout hut ready to open as centre for community

A former Scout hut at the heart of a long row over plans to lease it to a Muslim group is to reopen as a community building this weekend.

The Forgotten Estates group has refurbished the property in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, and intends to lease it out as a venue for clubs and community groups.

The group was formed in opposition to Leicester City Council's plans to allow As-Salaam Muslim community group to take over the hut.

The council rethought the idea after months of protests by residents outside a nearby community centre where As-Salaam was already meeting to pray.

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby agreed the Forgotten Estates Committee would be given the lease on the hut, in Nursery Road, for two years rent-free.

Maxine Williams, landlady of the Stirrup Cup pub and founding member of Forgotten Estates, said: "We are very nearly ready to reopen.

"We have had new windows and guttering, a kitchen fitted and fire doors put in. It looks like a totally different building."

She said it would be renamed The 55th – after the Scout group that once met there.

She thanked residents who had raised thousands of pounds toward the refurbishment of the building, as well as tradespeople who had donated time and materials to the project.

She said: "People's generosity has made this happen. The 55th will be used most days of the week.

"We are currently putting the final touches to the groups and the timings."

As-Salaam said it had now agreed terms with the city council over leasing the council-owned Raven Centre, next to Thurnby Lodge Community Centre.

Imam Mohammed Lockhat said the group had started moving in, ahead of formally taking over the lease on April 1.

As-Salaam had previously said it could not afford the city council's asking price for rent, but he said terms had now been agreed.

He said: "We are in the process of moving in. We have resolved all of the issues."

He said the protests which cost more than £200,000 to police and had deterred some worshippers from attending prayers, had stopped.

He said: "There have not been any protests for about a month.

"That is we are getting back to normal.

"I am trying to get all those people who were scared to come to return, but that is taking time."

Sir Peter said: "We have reached a position where everybody involved has the opportunity to fulfil their hopes and ambitions.

"It has taken a lot of patience from everyone involved and I would like to thank them for that."

PIG'S HEAD MAN SPARED JAIL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Pig's head man spared jail 

by Tim Healey

A man who placed a pig's head at the door of a community centre used by Muslims has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Liam Ferrar (24) appeared at Leicester Magistrates' Court for sentencing yesterday, after pleading guilty to religiously aggravated harassment.

Ferrar went to Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, in Thurncourt Road, Leicester, in the early hours of December 26 and placed the severed head by the locked doors.

The head was facing worshippers from Muslim group As Salaam as they arrived at the centre that morning for prayers.

District Judge John Temperley, sentencing Ferrar to 12 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, told him: "You were well aware of the significance of your actions.

"You knew what you did would cause great distress. Indeed, that was your intention."

"The pig's head was positioned in such a way it could not be avoided by all those, including, potentially, young children, who had the misfortune to enter the building that morning.

"It is easy to imagine the shock, distress and disgust they would have felt.

"But the harm you caused goes further. Others in the community and beyond would also have been affected when news of the incident spread, prompting profound alarm, fear and insecurity."

The offence was committed at a time when protests were being held outside the community centre over plans by Leicester City Council to allow As Salaam take over a disused Scout hut nearby.

Mr Temperley said Ferrar would have been "keenly aware" of that background.

He said: "It should have been obvious what you did was intimidatory and would only serve to inflame an already tense and volatile situation."

He said the offence was so serious only a custodial sentence was justified. But Ferrar's remorse, previous good character, work in the community and the fact he was "highly unlikely to appear before a criminal court again" meant the sentence would be suspended.

The judge ordered Ferrar to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and pay costs of £85.

Ferrar had been to a party before he planted the head, which he had acquired at a barbecue the previous summer and kept in a freezer at his home in Brook Road, Thurnby Lodge.

Louise Cox, prosecuting, said Ferrar was a member of the Forgotten Estates group "that has been involved in protests about the use of the Scout hut".

Ferrar, who had acted as a liaison between the group and police and was seen by officers as a "calming influence", was recognised on the centre's CCTV footage.

After being arrested on December 28, he "became tearful" and confessed.

Ferrar's solicitor, Stephen Morris, said his client was deeply ashamed of what he had done and had distanced himself from Forgotten Estates.

He said Ferrar was concerned at the lack of facilities in the area and coached a junior football team for which he paid for items from his own pocket.

When the judge said the sentence would be suspended there was a sigh of relief from Ferrar's family and supporters.

After the hearing, Maxine Williams, licensee of the Stirrup Cup pub and a founding member of Forgotten Estates, said: "I was pleased for Liam that he is not going to prison.

"He is a good chap really."

As Salaam imam Moulana Mohammed Lockhat said: "We are happy justice has been done. We hope this will discourage anyone else from taking part in acts which promote religious and racial hatred."

Mr Morris said: "My client wishes to apologise to the As Salaam Trust for any distress his actions have caused."

Read the judge's comments in full here:

R v Liam Ferrar

Leicester Magistrates Court

18th February 2013

District Judge Temperley

Sentencing remarks

You have pleaded guilty to an offence of intentional harassment contrary to s4A Public Order Act 1986. The offence was religiously aggravated. In the early hours of Boxing Day last year, you placed a severed pig’s head outside the entrance doors to the Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, a building that has been used as a place of worship and Madrasah by a Muslim prayer group for approximately three years.

This offence was to some extent planned, premeditated and targeted. You were well aware of the significance of your actions. You knew that what you did would cause great distress, indeed that was your intention. On your version of events you had acquired the pigs head several months earlier. If that is true, your decision to keep it suggests that you either you or someone else had an offence such as this in mind. The timing of the offence may have been random but it was in my view clearly premeditated. The fact you were under the influence of alcohol is not a mitigating factor.

The pig’s head was positioned in such a way that it could not be avoided by all those, including potentially young children, who had the misfortune to enter the building that morning.

It is easy to imagine the shock, distress and disgust they would have felt. The witness statements I have read bear testimony to the serious impact of your actions. But the harm you caused goes further. Others in the local community and beyond would also have been affected when news of this incident spread, prompting profound alarm, fear and insecurity.

In sentencing you I cannot ignore the context in which the offence was committed. For several months protests had been taking place outside the community centre. The police have been involved and as a result there are a number of cases currently before this court.

Whilst I do not suggest you were involved in any of those incidents, as a leading member of the so called Forgotten Estates Group you would have been keenly aware of the background and you would have appreciated better than most the likely effect of your actions in this wider context. It should have been obvious that what you did was intimidatory and would only serve to enflame an already tense and volatile situation. There was a real risk that your behaviour could either prompt others to exact retribution or encourage others to behave in a similar way.

It is not disputed that initially you were seen by the police as a reliable point of contact and in their words a “calming influence”. I accept that you disassociated yourself from the Forgotten Estates Group because you were concerned that it was being hijacked by others with more sinister motives.

I take account of the fact that you are a young man of previous good character. You have never been in any trouble with the police before. The character references I have read do you great credit. You regularly give your time, energy and money to good causes and to helping others.

I also accept that you have demonstrated genuine remorse and regret for your actions. You cooperated with the police and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

I have read the pre sentence report prepared by the Probation service and noted their recommendations.

Weighing up all these factors and applying the Sentencing Guidelines I conclude that this offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is justified. Were it not for the element of religious aggravation a community penalty would be appropriate. But this is an offence where the targeting of a particular religious group is the most serious factor and consequently a custodial sentence is inevitable.

However in view of your considerable personal mitigation and the fact that you are highly unlikely to appear before a criminal court again, I will suspend the sentence.

I have reduced the sentence by one third to reflect your guilty plea. The sentence I impose is 12 weeks imprisonment suspended for the period of 12 months. There will be one community requirement attached to the order, namely that you will undertake 250 hours of unpaid work.

You will also pay costs of £85.

LEICESTER MAYOR PETER SOULSBY GIVES HIS DECISION IN THURNBY LODGE SCOUT HUT ROW

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Leicester mayor Peter Soulsby gives his decision in Thurnby Lodge scout hut row

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has resolved a bitter dispute over the future of a disused Scout hut.

Demonstrations – some involving hundreds of people and a heavy police presence – have been taking place in Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, for the past six months over plans by a Muslim charity to turn the hut into a community centre.

But yesterday, Sir Peter announced a plan which appears to have satisfied both sides in the dispute. The protesters, who have formed a group called the Forgotten Estates Committee, will be given the lease on the Scout hut for two and a half years rent-free.

The group has told Leicester City Council it will develop it as a community centre.

The Muslim charity, the As-Salaam Trust, has been told it can have the lease to another city council-owned building, the Raven Centre, which is next to the Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, where the charity has been meeting for prayers for the past three years.

Sir Peter said a "small number" of groups which use the Raven Centre will transfer to Thurnby Lodge Community Centre, or other local council buildings.

Mohamed Lockhat, As-Salaam Trust's imam, said: "We are happy a solution has been found. Some people have felt very passionately about the Scout hut, but everyone will be able to work together for the good of the community."

Maxine Williams, licensee of the estate's Stirrup Cup pub and a founding member of the Forgotten Estates Committee, said: "Everybody I have spoken to so far about Peter Soulsby's decision has been ecstatic.

"When we first heard that As-Salaam wanted the Scout hut we knew it was the wrong place because of problems with traffic and noise.

"The Raven Centre is in the community centre complex, so car parking is available for As-Salaam's members."

The Forgotten Estates Committee has collected thousands of pounds for its plan to turn the Scout hut into a community centre.

It followed a public consultation in which questionnaires were sent to 7,000 households in Thurnby Lodge and neighbouring Netherhall.

Some 1,400 responses were returned to the council – a turnout of about 20 per cent.

Most backed the plan unveiled by Sir Peter yesterday, which was one of two options on the questionnaire.

"This option meets everyone's needs, and I am therefore offering both groups the opportunity to make this happen," said Sir Peter. "I think both groups recognise we have worked very hard with them to find a solution which meets everyone's hopes and needs. Both recognise there is a need to move forward in a constructive way and I've been encouraged by the responses both have given.''

The protests began in August and were held outside Thurnby Lodge Community Centre when As-Salaam members met for prayers.

A police operation was launched to make sure the protests remained peaceful after complaints that worshippers felt intimidated.

Two months after the protests started, the Mercury reported the cost of policing them had reached £200,000.

The final total is unknown.

On Boxing Day, a pig's head was found outside the centre.

A 23-year-old man has been charged in connection with the incident and is due to appear in court later this month.

LEICESTER MAYOR SIR PETER SOULSBY: "LET'S RESOLVE SCOUT HUT ROW"

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby: "Let's resolve scout hut row"

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby says he hopes to resolve a long-running row over the lease of a former Scout hut before Christmas.

For months, some residents of Thurnby Lodge, Leicester, have been protesting against Muslim community group As-Salaam's plans to take over the disused building in Nursery Road.

They have been gathering outside a nearby community centre used on a daily basis by worshippers from As-Salaam.

A residents' group, The Forgotten Estates, said it would like the building to be open to the wider community, not just Muslims.The Scout hut is on council-owned land.

A debate was held at the Town Hall on Thursday, triggered by the submission of a 1,500-signature petition against As-Salaam's plans.

Mohammed Lockhat, spokesman for As-Salaam, said: "I would urge you to finalise the lease with As-Salaam as a matter of urgency as your delay only serves to increase tensions within the community."

Mr Lockhat told the council As-Salaam members were regularly harassed and intimidated by the protesters.

He handed over a 3,700-name petition supporting the group's takeover of the Scout hut.

However, it was not formally accepted as it only carried certain details of the signatories.

As-Salaam said people were too afraid to add their full details.

Sir Peter said: "I do hope this can be brought to a speedy solution.

"I would hope that it will be resolved before Christmas."

He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and thanked the representative of both As-Salaam and The Forgotten Estates for taking part in discussions with him.

A proposed package has been drawn up, though details have only been released to interested parties.

Forgotten Estates spokeswoman Maxine Williams, of the Stirrup Cup pub, said the group's committee did not condone the intimidation of As-Salaam members.

She said after the meeting: "I can understand how they feel.

"It can be intimidating but any protest like this will attract a certain element. We want the protests to be peaceful and amicable."

She said the group had been raising money and was now in a position to take over the Scout hut lease.

It would aim to use it for a boxing club, dance groups and as a gym.

SCOUT HUT ROW PETITION IS HANDED IN TO COUNCIL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Scout hut row petition is handed in to council

Scores of campaigners gathered at the city council offices to submit a petition opposing the handover of a former Scout hut to an Islamic charity.

The group, calling itself the Committee for the Forgotten Estates of Thurnby Lodge and Netherhall, passed the document to City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby yesterday.

They are asking the council not to allow the As-Salaam Trust to take control of a disused scout building located in the heart of the estate.

The charity, whose members have been meeting on the estate for two-and-a-half years, are asking to take over the disused building.

More than 250 Thurnby Lodge residents gathered outside the Leicester City Council headquarters in New Walk last night to witness the handover.

Residents have collected more than 1,500 signatures, which automatically entitle the issue for discussion at a full council meeting.

A spokesman for the group said: "The Scout hut building in Nursery Road is in the heart of the community and much of the community's heart is in it.

"It was built with the youth of the community in mind and it should remain as such."

Campaigner Patrick McShane, 58, said: "We want Peter Soulsby to look at this and see it from our point of view. We want to the building as a facility for the whole community."

Carol Davies, 50, who signed the petition, said: "We've tried to contact our councillors but they're not interested, so we had to take matters into our own hands.

"We're a close community and we'll pull together when we need to."There's nothing here for the children to do and taking away a meeting place like the Scout building would leave even less."

Bridget Massey, 73, said: "Traffic is a big issue. There will be nowhere for all the cars – and this building is meant to be for all of us, not just one section of the community."

Sir Peter Soulsby stood at the steps to the council offices yesterday as he was passed the large list of names.

He said: "The community has quite clearly given this a lot of thought and we will of course listen to any ideas they have about alternative sites.

"It's my job to try and find ways to meet the needs of both groups involved."

Protesters have been holding regular meetings outside the Scout hut.

However, some residents said they would prefer the site to be developed for the wider community.

Up to 400 people at a time have gathered at the building to oppose plans to turn the building into a community centre.

The Mercury was unable to contact the As-Salaam Trust yesterday.