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by Lib Dem team on 17 September, 2014
The Islamic centre at 40 Foxland Road held its first open day on Saturday, with more planned. They invited local residents who had put in objections to their recent planning application for extended hours and Pam and I went along as local councillors too.
We wanted to understand their plans, and also raise the concerns residents have been raising with us.
Our hosts at the centre were very welcoming – laying on food and drink, giving us a full guided tour and answering all their questions. One of my concerns was that, because most of us simply don’t know what goes on there, people may jump to wrong conclusions.
The centre has a large room on the ground floor with washing facilities to the rear – the room’s mostly used for prayers. Upstairs is a small kitchen and office along with two small classrooms, each able to take 9-12 students.
The centre is used for education 3-4 days a week, with classes after the normal school day. Our hosts stressed their belief in Islam as a peaceful religion – that anyone who seeks to harm another, whatever their religion, cannot be a real muslim.
They also use the centre for prayers, which in Islam are five times a day. Most of those times there are no more than five people present, sometimes just one or no-one at all.
The time we’ve had complaints about is the main Friday afternoon prayers. They accepted that there had been an issue with parking, but said they are working to minimise it.
The aim of the previous planning application was to allow them to hold the first prayer of the day during summer. The first prayer is at sunrise – and for most of the year that’s not a problem. During the summer months, dawn comes early enough that they aren’t currently permitted to use the centre for that first prayer.
We felt the first application had been clumsily worded: it asked for 24 hour opening when what was wanted was earlier opening in the summer months only, and then only for no more than five people to pray.
Our hosts at the centre said they were planning to submit a revised application in time for next summer, but first they wanted to take the time to meet with local residents, understand people’s concerns and resolve any issues.
We haven’t seen a revised planning application yet (and probably won’t for several months) so we can’t comment on that. However, I would suggest that anyone who either has an issue with the Centre or wants to find out more about what goes on there either goes to a future open day or just knocks on the door to say hello: they’re very friendly and very keen to work as a part of our community.
4 Comments
Whatever purpose the venue serves – it should not be allowed to expand if that expansion would have a deleterious effect on the neighbours and neighbourhood more widely.
Should parking be the issue, there be but two courses of action – provide sufficient parking within the facility or build a new facility (with such provision) in another more suitable location.
Simples.
Great to see the islamic centre opening its doors to invite the community to come along to see what it does and the willingnes of all who want to find solutions to parking. A great piece that puts some much needed perspective on this.
I agree. There’s a mosque at Heald Green just up the road. Why isn’t that sufficient?
They clearly have cars and the Heald Green Centre is already available with its own parking spaces!