A PROPOSED Muslim place of worship has been labelled a "wailing tower" by the head of a Blackburn community association.

Brian Booth, chairman of Ivy Street Community Association, spoke out against a proposal by Markaz-Ul-Loom College, in Park Lee Road, in the Infirmary Area, at a monthly association meeting.

Mr Booth said he was against the proposal - which is for part of the residential school to be used as a place of worship during the month of Ramadan.

He said a petition had been made by local residents to oppose the use of two school classrooms for prayer.

And he believes the temporary prayer building would pave the way for the creation of a mosque at the site.

But Dr Mahmood Chandia, a spokesman for the school - which does not operate as an education facility during Ramadan - said it had been used for worship in the holy month for the last four years without complaints.

He said there were no plans for a mosque or a minaret, which is used to call Muslims to prayer in Muslim countries, and that the car park would accommodate any additional vehicles to the school.

He added that his group only wanted permission to use the building for prayer during Ramadan.

Chris Livesey, a senior planning officer for Blackburn with Darwen Council, said that he did not know what Mr Booth meant by a "wailing tower" and said that, generally speaking, mosques did not have externally audible broadcast calls to prayer. A petition has been received by the council with 428 signatures from residents in the Longshaw and Park Lee areas.

The petition supports a letter objecting to the application citing traffic problems, kerbside parking and the proximity of the school to the East Lancashire Hospice.

Mr Booth said that in particular the proximity of the East Lancashire Hospice worried him and that patients in the hospice should not be disturbed by the increased activity the supposed mosque would create.

He said: "They are building a wailing tower. I don't want any shouting or bawling near to the hospice. People in there need as much quiet as possible.

"People are frightened that before long the amount of people who will be going in there will be unbelievable.

"It worries me because myself, with a lot of people round here, think it's the thin end of the wedge.

"There will be a mosque up there before long."

Mr Booth said that the school had been used as a place for prayers beforehand without planning permission and that its original purpose had been "abused."

Coun Maureen Bateson, executive member for social services, said: "There is a clear view that there has been an abuse of the original intention.

"I know there is great concern from local residents in the area. People don't want to see planning laws abused in many respects."

She added: "For years and years we have had major traffic issues in Park Lee Road. It has been a major source of concern for people."

Dr Chandia said: "There would be 10 to 12 people using the facility. These are relations of the female pupils who would bring food to break the fast and take part in devotional activities.

"The permission is only for the month of Ramadan and there is not going to be a mosque or a minaret as we would use the hall, which is normally used for education.

"There has not been a problem in the past but this man has a right to raise concerns that he feels need to be raised and these issues need to be clearly discusses and debated.

"If we express concerns we can come to an amicable solution."

The application is currently under consideration and will be brought to the council's planning and highways committee in December.