NEWS: Mosque Denied Expansion Into Temple

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
24 May 2010

AN ISLAMIC teaching centre in Polwarth has been refused permission to expand amid fears that it would attract too many worshippers by car.

The Idara Centre - commonly known as the Polwarth Mosque - on Temple Park Crescent also faced objections about loud prayers emanating from the building, and concerns that it intended to display "Islamic motifs" on the street.

Owner The Idara Taleem-Ul Qur'an Trust had applied for planning permission to change the former Al-Hilal grocers at the corner of Yeaman Place into an extension of the existing centre to create a new computer lab and reference library.

Its ultimate aim was to turn the spacious corner unit into an Islamic exhibition centre to "engage with the non-Muslim local community and help to remove barriers".

However, it faced objections from a city conservation group and a neighbour about parking, loud prayers and the design of the windows.

Marion Williams, director of the Cockburn Association, said the limited parking, hours of use, noise and "less than adequate" fire escapes made the unit "an unsuitable location for a use attracting regular visitors".

She added: "The association suggest that the introduction of Islamic motifs and symbols could be achieved by internal screens or opaque film on the glass without compromising the character of the building."

Ms Williams stressed that the concerns were from an architectural, rather than a cultural, point of view.

Neighbour Gerard Crawley also raised concerns about parking. He said: "At certain times of the day, there are quite a few cars waiting to pick up those about to leave. If this increases, it would become dangerous. Also, on occasion I have heard prayer through amplification."

The council rejected repeated assurances by Idara's agents that the expansion was intended to provide more comfortable facilities for existing worshippers, rather than invite more worshippers to the centre, and refused the change-of-use application.

Head of planning John Bury said: "The proposed change of use and resultant increased capacity of the centre will result in increased parking in this heavily parked area to the detriment of public safety and amenity."

Idara chairman Amjed Hussain questioned the decision and said it was up to the council to sort out the parking problems on the street, rather than allowing it to stifle development.

He added:

"The footfall and traffic around the new centre would have been no bigger than when it was a shop, so it seems odd that they've rejected the application on parking grounds.

"Our existing set-up is very low key, and doesn't look much different from your average community centre.

"We're going to have a word with the architects to see if it is worth appealing the decision, as we have no other plans for the unit."