Originally Posted by Xaccers

I seem to recall a mosque in Oxford being "slapped with all sorts of restrictions" when its owners wanted to have working minarets (you're be happy with the minaret if it wasn't just decorative would you?).
There's a row of shops (Co-op, throatcutters, hair salon, two takeaways) with insufficient parking. Should they have been denied planning permission to convert the houses to businesses because of this, or should the council enforce parking restrictions and punish those who double park blocking the road?