Meat plant beside gurdwara in UK approved despite protests

Notwithstanding stiff opposition from local Sikh community, a British city has approved the proposal of a food firm to set up a halal meat plant next to a prominent gurdwara.
Bradford Area Planning Panel, yesterday narrowly approved the Food firm Pakeezah's proposal to convert a disused car repair workshop on Percival Street, near the Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara building, into a modern wholesale meat plant, even as protests continued.
Protesters holding placards gathered at the site of Planning Panel meeting, yesterday with more people holding placards outside the City Hall in the north English city.
"No meat plants next to place of worship.." the placards read.

Barrister Kuljeet Singh, representing the Sikh community, said presence of meat nearby would upset worshippers at prayer.
"The purity and sanctity of the Gurdwara is going to be seriously undermined and that will have an effect on the right to worship of Sikhs," Singh said.

Pakeezah director Tariq Haq, however told the panel the plant would create "no disturbing smells or noises".
"If we get permission today, I would like to go to the temple in six months and say 'Has it affected you in any way whatsoever?' And it won't," the Telegraph & Argus quoted Haq as saying.
Protesters earlier also had said the the plant would offend the sensibilities of the Sikh community.

"Many of our people are strict vegetarians and the notion of meat being so near to the temple is disrespectful and insensitive," Kuldip Kaur Bharj, secretary of the Board of Bradford Gurdwaras, had said last week.