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Mosque plans thrown out
PLANS for a massive redevelopment of a Sheffield mosque and Islamic school complex have been rejected by a High Court judge after a two-year battle.
The charitable trust behind the Masjid-e-Umar complex wanted to knock down the existing "inadequate" buildings and replace them with a large new mosque and school. But first Sheffield Council planners, then a planning inspector and now Mr Justice Collins have rejected the plans for the corner of Barnsley Road and Osgathorpe Road.
Speaking outside court after the decision, mosque planning coordinator Abdul Khayum said he was bitterly disappointed with the result, which leaves the local Muslim community struggling in poor conditions.
Many of the children learning at the Islamic school – or madressa – have to be housed in portable buildings with no adequate heating, he said. "The buildings are dilapidated. We have so many young children attending the madressa in inadequate conditions."
The plans, originally rejected by the council in October 2007, would have seen two semi-detached and one detached house demolished and replaced with a purpose-built complex.
But the council said the complex would be too big for the area and could generate too much traffic, which could in turn cause problems due to the insufficient planned off-street parking.
After the decision the mosque took the case to the Planning Inspectorate, where an inspector upheld the council's decision and rejected the application.
- The mosque is also appealing against a decision by a Sheffield Council planning board ordering it to remove the temporary classrooms, which will be heard at a forthcoming public inquiry in Sheffield.
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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