The planned expansion of a mosque in the heart of Rochdale will go ahead.
The planned expansion of a mosque in the heart of Rochdale will go ahead.
The Jalalia Jaame Mosque will expand and remodel their building as part of a ‘legacy project’ for the community. The Trafalgar Street site has grown in size and popularity since it was built back in the 1970s, so the mosque wants to transform to better suit the needs of the area.
The current dome and minaret will be removed and replaced with a more modern design and new minaret, the planning committee meeting on December 18 was told.
The proposals also include a first floor extension; a lift and two stairways; improved common area facilities; and a small addition to the main prayer space are all proposed inside the building.
Local councillor speaking in favour of the development, Coun Iftikhar Ahmed, told the committee in Number One Riverside: “This will deliver clear and substantial benefits. It’s creating a modern facility that meets the evolving needs of the community.
“This will help with education for children and young people.”
Coun Ahmed went on to explain this plan would provide better facilities for women, as there are currently no separate changing facilities at the site.
The scheme was deemed ‘overdevelopment’ by council planning officers, who recommended the proposal be thrown out. Officers felt the new mosque would be negatively dominant over the surrounding residential area.
However, the planning committee believed the issues raised by officers already exist, so would not impact local residents further.
Representatives from the mosque explained how the design of the new building would bring sustainable methods with solar panels, rainwater harvesting and better thermal insulation.
Committee member Coun Sameena Zaheer added: “This will create opportunities for those who were missing out before like children and women.”
Coun Phil Burke wanted to add conditions to the plans before approval was granted, which would be obscuring views from the windows and an investigation into the traffic impact on the road next to the entrance of the site. This could lead to a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) and double yellow lines imposed on Nile Street.
After agreeing additional conditions committee overruled planning officers’ recommendation of refusal, saying this plan would be beneficial to the community.
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