Mosque plans on display at library

Plans for a new mosque building on it current site opposite Streatham Green are on display this week in Streatham Libary.

The proposals from South London Isalmic Centre for a better equipped space for prayer along with a café, meeting halls, classrooms, gymnasium, inter-faith library, funeral services and a nursery, are currently seeing planning permission from Lambeth Council.

SLIC is seeking views from the wider community on their plans. Currently space for prayer and meeting is very cramped inside the former fire station with many having to kneel to pray outside in its carpark. 

Around 1600 people attend Friday prayers currently and there had been concern locally that a beautiful new mosque building would attract greater numbers and increase traffic congestion around Mitcham Lane and St Leonard's Junction.

At a meeting of Streatham Action's transport committee last week, Chair of the SLIC's trustees, Mohammad Aslam Ijaz, gave reassurances that the new building would provide better and more suitable facilities inside, reducing the need for people to spill out onto the pavement. He also confirmed results of a travel survey indiciating that 17 per cent of mosque users currently travel by car.

He said the vision for the new building was that it would provide a safe, open and friendly space for the wider Streatham community, with non-Muslims welcome to use its facilities.

 
The plans will be on display at Streatham Library until Monday 3rd October and can also be seen - along with a Q&A online here. 

 Feedback from local people is actively sought. You can contact the mosque with your feedback here.
 

 

Consultation event at South London Islamic Centre on Mitcham Lane

Quite a few local residents have been in touch to discuss the proposals to develop the South London Islamic Centre at 8 Mitcham Lane.

The application is likely to be refused, according to the planning officer responsible.

The consultation period has now been extended until Friday the 6th December, but a number of residents suggested that it would help to have some dialogue with the mosque about the planning application, which is likely to be resubmitted at a later date.

I have had some correspondence with Mr Mohammed A Ijaz who is Chair-of the Council of Trustees. They will be hosting an event at the mosque this Thursday 28th November at 7.00pm, about their proposals and the planning issues. I asked if I might let local residents know so that they can attend, and he has agreed. However he would like to know the number who want to come so they can provide refreshments.

If you would like to attend, drop me an email: jonathan.bartley (at) greenparty.org.uk and I can give Mr Ijaz an idea of the number who will be coming.

South London Islamic Centre planning application 'likely to be refused'

Correspondence from the planning officer responsible for making the decision on the development of the mosque, the South London Islamic Centre at 8 Mitcham Lane, suggests that the application will be refused.

In an email to local residents he states:

"At this time there are numerous issues identified with the application which mean that the application is currently minded for refusal. A previous scheme was withdrawn on the advice of officers due to serious concerns mainly relating to the scale and design of the building and the potential for the development to result in significant harm to the current levels of parking stress in the surrounding streets. The current application is largely the same as this previous scheme and the fundamental concerns previously identified still exist. I have briefly outlined these issues below.

"The applicant has failed to provide sufficient justification for the principle of the demolition of the existing building which has been identified to be a positive contributor to the character and appearance of the conservation area. The applicant has also failed to provide an up to date parking survey/modal split/trip generation analysis to allow for a full and comprehensive assessment of the likely transport and parking impacts of the development. The scale and design of the proposed building still also provides serious concern however Conservation officers have not been able to carry out a full assessment of the proposals due to the poor quality of the drawings currently submitted.

"As well as the fundamental concerns outlined above there are also potential issues surrounding the residential element of the development in terms of noise transmission and quality of the accommodation along with the narrow width of the footway adjacent to the main entrance creating hazardous highway conditions at times when the congregation is exiting the building through potential overspill.

"For the reasons outlined above, the application is minded for refusal and I do not envisage any scenario where minor tweaking or amendments to the development could address these concerns."