COUNCILLORS have turned down a second bid for a mosque in a Blackburn terrace house.

Farooq Mohammed applied for planning consent for the place of worship above his Ashrafi Study Centre Madrassah, in Accrington Road, Audley in 2011.

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee refused the proposal because of objections over noise and nuisance.

This month the committee was asked to rule on a smaller proposed place of worship.

Neighbours, Blackburn MP Jack Straw and Father Martin Daniels, of nearby St Jude’s Church, objected again to the siting of a mosque in the house.

Mr Straw said using terrace houses as mosques was no longer necessary, or appropriate, to allow Muslims to practice their faith.

He added: “There are plenty of mosques nearby”

Next door neighbours Paolo and Kelly Fardella wrote to the council saying the level of noise when 20 worshippers were present and the calls to prayer would disturb them.

Councillors refused the new application, agreeing with council officers that levels of noise and general disturbance would be too high to be acceptable in planning terms.

Mr Mohammed and his agent Imran Patel, of Compass Architectural Consultants were not available for comment.