RESIDENTS OPPOSE MOSQUE PLANS
FEARS OVER POTENTIAL RISES IN NOISE AND TRAFFIC
PLANS to turn a former Leicester City Council housing office into a mosque are being opposed by people who live nearby.
The Al-Mahdi Association charity wants to convert the old Braunstone South housing office into a place of worship and education centre.
However, more than a dozen people who live near the property in Guthridge Crescent, Braunstone, have written to planners opposing the change and saying that the association has been gathering there for some time anyway. Their concerns include potential increases in traffic and noise from the property, which is already listed as the association’s address.
The application states the centre would be open up to 11pm from Monday to Saturday and to 10pm on Sundays.
One neighbour wrote: “The property is situated on a busy Tjunction with a fish and chip shop and a cafe on one corner and two small supermarkets on the other corner.
“All of these shops give good service to the local community.
“There is a constant flow of traffic to these premises.
“We all benefit from these services and are happy to put up with a certain amount of noise and disruption due to this.
“When the premises at 24 Guthridge are being used by its new owner, the streets in the area fill with cars, with all available spaces taken up.
“This of course gives problems to people who want to park and use the shops and also for us residents.
“My wife used to dread going out in the evening because if 24 Guthridge was being used she could not park anywhere near the house on her return, having to leave the car in nearby streets.
“Apart from the parking issues there has also been loud music and speech from a sound system.
“The owners have been operating in this area with no thought or concern for the local community and the effect that their parking and noise have and clearly without any planning consent.”
Another objector wrote: “The building is being used as a place of worship now.
“There are massive car parking problems now. This is not the right place to have it.”
The Leicester Mercury has contacted applicant Mohammed Mahdi for comment, as well as Faisal Osman, who is the agent for the Al Mahdi Association’s project.
As the Mercury went to press, neither had responded.