| Topic: | Re:Chiswick Buddhists | |
| Posted by: | Pat Smith | |
| Date/Time: | 01/06/15 15:19:00 |
| The Vihara is administered by volunteers. Neither the resident monks nor the volunteers are paid any money for their services. The Vihara relies entirely on donations from its supporters. The Vihara is not asking for subsidised parking (as suggested by Mr. Stewart Jones), but it is asking for the continuation of the system which has worked smoothly for many years. For many years the Vihara has paid an annual fee for 15 permits. In a letter dated 6 March received about a week later (sorry, the newspaper article contained an error. The letter did not come in January), the Vihara was notified that at a council meeting last November the decision was taken to cancel all parking permits issued to religious institutions. This was to take effect from 6 April. There was little warning, not 6 months as stated by Mr. Nigel Brooks, and there was no opportunity to discuss matters with the council. Subsequently, there was a stay of execution until 7 July. Ms. Paula Gjesdal is correct in her understanding of the situation. Why are these permits needed? 1. There are people who help with various administrative duties, some of whom attend almost daily for several hours or an entire day to answer the phone, deal with correspondence, etc. 2. The Vihara is recognised in the world of Theravada Buddhism as an important centre. It does, therefore, attract visitors from both within the borough and from much further away, many of whom come by car. 3. Every day there is a religious ceremony at which supporters come to offer dana. This is the offering to the monks of their daily meal. This is offered at 11.30am and the monks should finish their meal by 12 noon. However, the dana givers usually arrive about 9.30 or 10.00am in order to prepare the meal, and they usually remain until about 2.00pm to clear up, etc. This ceremony may involve just one family or, often, several families involving up to 30 or 40 people. If they have to pay to park their cars for several hours, they will incur a heavy expense. Mr. Gordon McDonald has pointed out that there are excellent public transport links. This is true, but it is not feasible to use public transport to convey large quantities of food and cooking utensils, etc. For the same reason it is also impossible either to walk or to use a bicycle, as suggested by Mr. Will Watson. For these reasons there is a need for considerably more than the single transferable permit, suggested by Mr. Nigel Brooks, although he is correct that disabled visitors can use their own parking permit. Furthermore, it is not correct for him to say the permits are free. Mr. Paul Pryce has made some useful comments on this matter. The council has given administrative expense as the reason for the cancellation of the permits. However, it has already been pointed out by Ms. Lorraine Pemberton that any expense is borne by SERCO. It is true that by cancelling these permits, the council will receive more revenue because visitors will have to pay by the hour. However, the smooth running of the everyday affairs of the Vihara will be disrupted, causing inconvenience and considerable expense to a number of people. |