Hundreds of people divided over plans to extend Sheffield mosque
Plans to extend a mosque have completely split the local community - with hundreds of people both for and against it.
The Masjid Umar mosque on Barnsley Road wants to demolish neighbouring 304 Barnsley Road and an outbuilding and build a large two-storey extension to create a prayer hall and entrance.
There are 313 people and three petitions with a total of 113 signatures against the plans.
And there have also been 311 people and a petition with 165 signatures in support.
Neighbours who are objecting say it would be an overdevelopment; it would not be in keeping with Victorian and Edwardian architecture; it would exacerbate existing traffic and parking problems and there is already noise and disturbance.
People in support say it will blend in, there won't be an increase in noise and there is no current traffic congestion and parking problems.
The mosque says it has a small prayer hall on the first floor but due to its restricted size, the ground and second floors are also used which splits the congregation.
The building does not have an adequate entrance or toilets and there is no lift. The applicant also says the existing mosque doesn't have the correct orientation to Mecca.
Its new extension would reflect traditional Islamic architecture with arched windows, minaret and styled dome. There would not be an external amplified call to prayer.
The new prayer hall would have room for 150 but the mosque says this maximum might be reached during the month of Ramadan at certain times of the day. The first floor would have capacity for non-prayer activities of 100 people and the education space 50 people.
A dozen parking spaces and cycling provision would be created.
Planning officers are advising councillors to approve the scheme, subject to a management plan with conditions restricting the range of uses and the capacity of the building.
Councillors will make a decision at a meeting on Tuesday, July 14.