Giant mosque is given go-ahead

Local muslims breathed a sigh of relief when plans to build a giant mosque and community centre on public open space opposite Werneth Park were finally approved.

Councillors voted in favour of the new facility proposed for land on Manchester Road, Werneth, at the third attempt.

The building will have four floors with a multi-use leisure hall at lower ground floor; the main prayer hall, office and toilets at ground floor; and another hall, classrooms and multi-use activity rooms at first and second floors. The main hall will accommodate 400 people, the second hall a further 80 people and another 310 people in a women’s hall and the activity rooms.

The trust also plans to build a car park at the rear to accommodate 20 vehicles.

Alan Chorlton, the agent for applicant Ummah Welfare Trust, said the building would be open to all communities and have an attractive design.

He also asked councillors to approve the hours of worship from sunrise to after sunset during the summer as prayer times varied.

Supporting the plan, Councillor Christine Wheeler said: “I have never heard or read in the Chronicle that there has been noise disturbance at mosques at sunrise so we should agree.”

Councillor Rod Blyth said: “This is the way forward. If we had a Catholic church would we ban them from having midnight mass? No we wouldn’t because that’s their religion.”

Councillor Stephen Bashforth described the proposed building as magnificent and praised the work of the community who have been behind the scheme. A previous scheme was refused on the basis that the development would result in the loss of an attractive piece of open space in a densely populated urban area.

But planning officers said the new application outlined the wider benefits the scheme will deliver — particularly replacing the open area with a community facility of greater quality that would be more usable by the wider community.

The scheme was approved with prayer times an hour before sunrise and an hour -and-a-half after sunset.