Far-right group visit to mosque site condemned

Planning permission for the South Lakes Islamic Centre was granted in 2022

The visit of a far-right group to the construction site of a mosque has been condemned, including by the MP who said such groups were "not welcome" in the area.

A group of Muslim doctors at Barrow's Furness General Hospital spearheaded plans for the South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton-in-Furness because the nearest mosque was 50 miles away.

Britain First held a demonstration outside the Ulverston Road site, where the co-leaders held a banner reading "no mosque here".

The group's petition to revoke planning permission received more than 70,000 signatures but Anti Racist Cumbria urged the local community to "stand against" misinformation about the development and Muslims as a group.

Labour MP for Barrow and Furness, Michelle Scrogham said: "Britain First, which emerged from the old British National Party, are not welcome in Barrow and Furness where, for generations, we are proud to have a community which supports one another."

Westmorland and Furness Council Conservative deputy leader Matt Brereton said there was a "sizeable Islamic faith community" in the wider Furness area.

"I don't really see there should be an issue in terms of them having somewhere they can celebrate their faith," he said.

The Islamic Centre is currently under construction in Dalton-in-Furness

The South Lakes Islamic Centre charity believes the prayer rooms and community centre in Dalton would prove beneficial for local Muslim families and visiting tourists.

Planning approval was originally granted in December 2022 with the group previously stating the space would cater for the 40 to 50 practising Muslim doctors at Furness General Hospital and their families.

'No grounds to rescind'

Managing director of Footprint Design Architects Yaqoob Malik said the controversy had led to some local suppliers pulling out of the project.

Mr Mailk said: "Supply chains were hesitant being involved in such a project.

"I don't believe there was any discrimination from their own part, I think more so they were concerned about the repercussions that it may have to their business."

The site has also been subject to misinformation, including that it is a "mega mosque in the Lake District" - when it would be a 33ft (10m) tall and 98ft (30m) long building, and outside the Lake District National Park.

Misinformation prompted Westmorland and Furness Council to release fact-checking guidance.

It was never the case that an application for a children's home had been turned down at the site, the local authority said.

The council said the then Barrow Council received 47 responses to the proposals at the time.

Of those 21 were objections, 18 were in support and eight were neutral comments.

A council spokesperson added: "Our role as the statutory planning authority has been to determine whether the application aligned with planning policy and to make a decision in accordance with planning rules.

"This procedure was followed correctly, democratically and legally, and there are no grounds to rescind this planning application.''

Additional reporting by Dan Hunt, Local Democracy Reporter