NEWS: Mosque Back On Track After Parking U-Turn

MARK McLAUGHLIN
Evening News (Edinburgh)
October 4, 2010, Monday

THE expansion of an Islamic teaching centre in Polwarth is back on track following a U-turn by the council's transport department.

The Idara Centre on Temple Park Crescent - commonly known as the Polwarth Mosque - has been given the go-ahead to change the former Al-Hilal grocers at the junction of Yeaman Place into an extension of the existing centre following a traffic survey that found it would not cause parking problems.

The expansion was initially refused in May amid concerns the proposals would "attract further patrons to the existing centre putting an additional burden on street parking".

The centre re-submitted the application with only minimal alterations and gave an assurance that the plans were intended to create a more comfortable environment for existing users, not attract more people, convincing the department to lift its objection.

However, the centre's owner, The Idara Taleem-Ul Qur'an Trust, now faces another obstacle in realising its ambitions - the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Pakistan.

Most of the centre's users and staff are of Pakistani descent, and many have seen family displaced by the floods.

Idara chairman Amjed Hussain said: "Now that we've secured planning permission we will have to raise money to fund the expansion.

"Unfortunately, this will prove difficult with the ongoing situation in Pakistan. Many people are sending all the money they can back home which doesn't leave much for us, but this is understandable.

"Family, of course, comes first and we have been doing everything we can to raise funds for the appeal."

The Idara Centre has already hosted several fundraisers, most recently a dinner at Ingliston on Saturday.

Mr Hussain confirmed that the ultimate aim for the expanded unit remains the creation of an Islamic exhibition centre to engage with the non-Muslim local community.

The centre has been steadily expanding since its foundation at 8 Temple Park Crescent in 1986, when it catered for around 20 students. Within ten years its roll had expanded to around 200 students and the trust purchased two neighbouring units to accommodate its growing numbers.

However, Mr Hussain said the possibility of attracting more people was unlikely due to the small Islamic minority in the area.

Andrew McBride, development control manager at transport planning, said: "I now have no objection to this application. A survey has been undertaken monitoring the movements of patrons attending the existing facilities.

"The majority of attendees were pedestrians. Vehicle movements dropping off patrons were minimal.

"In light of this transport planning are satisfied that the change of use will not exacerbate parking levels."