Muslim Group Could Go to High Court After Plans for Mosque Rejected in UK’s Windsor
The Ruddles Pool facility would have offered some 30 families a permanent place to worship, as well as accommodation.
But the plans submitted by the association to convert a detached property off Maidenhead Road, Windsor were rejected.
The group, who are using the scout hut in Maidenhead Road as a temporary venue, have been finding a home to hold prayers, events, after-school clubs, and celebrations for over ten years.
However, The Windsor Muslim Association members had their hopes dashed after the plans were narrowly refused by councilors on the Royal Borough development management panel in October 2020,
They believed the conversion did not justify harming the green belt and the parking and traffic would “intensify” the Maidenhead Road if they grew in numbers.
An appeal to overturn the decision was lodged – but planning inspector Rachael Pipkin agreed with the panel’s conclusion and dismissed the WMA’s case in November.
The intensity of the 30 families using the venue would “significantly harm” highway safety and the living conditions of nearby residential occupiers through increased noise and disturbance, she said.
The chairman of WMA, Mohammed Ariff, has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was “disappointed” to learn about Pipkin’s ruling and plans to go to the High Court to try and overturn the decision.
He said: “We have no choice. We have to take this to the High Court because this is an injustice for us, and this has been going on for a long time.”
He dismissed the reasons for refusal as “rubbish” and “unfair,” believing the planning inspector over-estimated ‘60 to 90’ worshippers visiting the site at the same time, adding: “Never in our history have all our families gathered at the same time.”
Ariff also said the busy period will be for one hour during Friday prayers.
On the green belt, the chairman stressed the plans did not propose any external changes and, therefore, the character of the area won’t be impacted.
He also said highway officers found the number of car parking spaces ‘acceptable’ and they would have had a traffic control operator to manage motorists visiting the center.
Ariff added 108 people in the area signed a document saying they didn’t have a problem in regards to parking.
Source: getreading.co.uk
