AN Asian councillor is set to be a step closer to his dream of an Islamic day school for Rossendale.

Planners are being recommended tomorrow nightto approve Coun Abu Asad Choudhury's plans to use two floors of his Saffron Restaurant in Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, for an assembly room for Islamic cultural, spiritual and educational teaching.

It will also be used for Muslim praying five times a day and Coun Choudhury is hoping it can be used for marriage ceremonies.

The father-of-five who was elected as a Conservative councillor on Rossendale Council last year said: "This will be the first step towards a school for the Islamic community."

The two floors are part of his restaurant, but he said the space was not needed. If planners agree to his plans he will be seeking grant money to help pay for the renovation.

And he said because of his plans to use the area for Islamic teaching he is now not selling alcoholic drinks in his restaurant, but customers will be allowed to bring their own. He said: "We will have to decorate the rooms in an Islamic style and recarpet them and that will take some time. I am hoping to employ a teacher from this country as principal and someone who is bi-lingual. Once it is up and running I will look to employ more teachers from Bangladesh."

Coun Choudhury said the centre, which will operate after-school and weekend and holiday sessions, will be for 100 children aged six to 18 from all Islamic faiths. He said it will teach the Koran, similar to the Bible, and also the Sunnah -- the life of the prophet.

For many years Coun Choudhury has run the Shanaz take-away, but last year opened up his own restaurant next door Saffron and the take-away business is now run by a relative.

Although there is an Islamic college in Ramsbottom -- Darul Uloom -- Coun Choudhury said it was a residential school where as his plans would be for a day school which would allow children to remain at home.