MOSQUE PLAN IS OPPOSED

Residents have hit out at plans to turn a disused factory into a community centre and place of worship.People living in Bath Street, Belgrave, Leicester, say they fear noise and traffic problems if the proposals get the go ahead.
They have already collected more than 100 signatures of protest and Leicester City Council has so far received 21 letters of objections to the application.The plans have been put forward by a group of businesses which say its main use will be a community centre.However, resident Michael Adams, 59, of Elsadene Avenue, Belgrave, Leicester, said he did not believe the proposals have been clearly spelled out.He said: "When we were originally informed the place was just going to be a community centre."We then had a meeting on December 7 and it came out that it was going to be a mosque."On December 26 there was an advert in the paper and it didn't mention it was going to be a place of worship."We don't feel we were given all the information."What concerns us is that these people don't live in the area."Most of the Muslims who live in this area attend a place of worship in Loughborough Road, and they don't even know about this situation. There will be more traffic, noise and disruption to the residents."May Danvers, 80, of Overing Close, has collected more than 100 signatures of protest along with her daughter Irene Dawson, 57, who lives at the same address.Mrs Danvers said: "I don't approve of it at all."We don't want a mosque, we have got enough traffic already."The business group, made up of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims, part of the mainstream Islamic religion, propose the centre will host keep fit and martial arts classes, among other things.On the planning application the listed opening hours are 8am to 11pm and the maximum number of people using the building daily is predicted to be 30.Jaffer Kapasi, a trustee and treasurer of the group who made the planning application, said: "The community centre will be open to everyone regardless of their religion."Before we bought the building we spoke to the residents and told them who we were, what we intended to do and that we needed their help."I think their fears about noise and traffic just won't be there because it will be used by a very small group of people - we won't be having a call to prayer and there is sufficient parking in the area."The centre will add value to the area will bring the communities together."We will be spending about £2 million on the building and the facilities."A spokeswoman for the city council's planning department said: "As I understand it there is one room set aside for prayer, and many buildings have a prayer room inside them."We have re-advertised the application because some people felt we had not given a full description of the plans."But from the plans the fact it is a place of worship is secondary to its use as a community centre."Residents have until January 23 to voice their opinion to the council on the plans