A TOWN'S Kurdish community is seeking to turn a terraced home into its own mosque.

It has submitted a planning application to convert a 'modest-sized' the bedroom house into a place of worship.

The proposal from Ahmed Ali Abdulraman relates to 51 Harrison Street in Blackburn.

A maximum of 15 worshippers are expected to use it at any one time.

A supporting statement with the planning application to Blackburn with Darwen Council says: "This application will provide an important facility for the Kurdish community of

Blackburn.

"The application property is a mid-terrace residential property located to the periphery of the town centre.

"It is typical of many modest-sized terraced houses in the town – sited to the back edge of the footway with a yard area to the rear.

"Internally, the property provides one lounge area on the ground floor with a kitchen to the rear.

"On the first floor, there are three bedrooms with a bathroom.

"The proposal seeks to utilise the existing building without any external alterations.

"It consists of a change of use to a small place of worship with an ancillary teaching element.

"The kitchen area retained (for light refreshments – tea/coffee) and the lounge area to be used as a meeting room/library and a prayer area.

"The similar sized area on the first floor will provide two small teaching spaces with the rear bedroom and bathroom replaced with three toilet cubicles and an ablution (wash) area.

"It is considered to be an accessible location, easily reached by train and bus services which are at the main stations a 12 to 15 minute walk from the site.

"This small facility is to be used by a small community in the Blackburn area with Kurdish origin who presently do not have any such provision.

"This facility will therefore fulfil an important need.

"Four parking spaces are provided in an enclosed car parking area on the opposite side of Harrison Street.

"These spaces will be rented from the owner of the banqueting facility (The Grand Venue) who is also the owner of the application site.

"Other than on the weekends, this large car park is entirely or largely vacant and provides a space for this place of worship to use – particularly on Friday lunchtime and also during the evening madrassah period.

"The location of the facility centrally in Blackburn is intended to enable users from the community to reach it without a private vehicle."