A mosque could be demolished and rebuilt resulting in a two-storey centre with space for 12 cars.

Officials from Jamia Masjid Usman Ghani Mosque in Stanley Street, Brierfield, applied to Pendle Council to demolish the existing place of worship and build a replacement mosque, including 12 parking spaces and 10 cycle spaces, with associated landscaping.

The centre currently provides a prayer hall for the local Muslim community for daily prayers, and during evenings and weekends, the centre also provides a facility for teaching Islamic studies, including Quran classes and Arabic studies mainly to children.

Lancashire Telegraph: The existing mosque building The existing mosque building (Image: Pendle Council)

The facility also provides services including dispute resolution, marriage counselling, and support for local women.

There have been several previous permissions granted at the site, the most recent in October 2016, for the erection of a two-storey side and rear extensions and provision of two classrooms for religious studies.

The principle of providing a larger religious building at the site has previously been agreed and satisfied, although it is acknowledged the permission has now lapsed.

A planning statement reads: “This proposal therefore seeks to supersede previous conditions and approvals at the site by the demolition of the current building, address current issues, and provide a new purpose-built mosque/Islamic centre that would be both functional in terms of its use, and provide a durable layout of the site as a whole for the long term future.

“Community facilities such as this site are an essential and indispensable feature of any area.

“Services such as education, health, social services, libraries help to support the quality of life in a community.

“Everyone benefits from community facilities at one time or another, whether that is through going to school, or just visiting a local library.

“Some, the less fortunate members of the community, are more dependent upon social services.

“For most of us just knowing that the wide variety of community facilities are there if we need them is reassuring enough.

Lancashire Telegraph: An aerial view of the existing mosque building An aerial view of the existing mosque building (Image: Pendle Council)

“For groups such as the old, and children, these facilities are often a daily necessity.  

“The applicant would like to work with the council in order to secure approval for the proposed new building and layout.

“No dedicated parking spaces are currently provided as part of the existing mosque.

“Planning permission is sought to demolish the existing building in full and to erect a new purpose-built facility at the site.

"The new facility would provide dedicated parking and landscaping and make full use of the existing extents of the site.

“In terms of layout, the proposed building would be located set back from the highway of Stanley Street. The area along Stanley Street would provide the vehicular entrance to a seven-bay car parking area.

“An area for bicycle storage and bin storage would also be provided adjacent to the car parking area. The building itself would extend up to the highway of Arthur Street.

“Given land level changes the front to the building would be two stories in height whilst the rear portion would be three stories in height by including a basement area.

“The basement would provide the smaller second car parking area for five cars including an accessible space accessed from Arthur Steet.

“In total the proposed development would provide 12 car parking spaces.

“A lift from the basement car park to upper floors of the mosque is also included.

“The existing use of the site as a place for public worship and teaching would be retained, whilst the proposed new facility would provide much needed space for offices, plant room, purpose use prayer halls, a small kitchen, toilets, washing areas, and improved classroom facilities for existing children to study, these would all be ancillary uses.

“This proposal does not include any further uses at the site to what is already provided by the mosque.

“The purpose of the proposed building is to provide local residents and children who use the facility a better-quality experience and flow through the building.

“As such, the existing teaching spaces for children at ground floor would be replaced.”

Anyone wishing to comment on the plans has until January 5 to do so via Pendle Council’s website or by written letter.