Plans for Preston mosque near motorway junction approved

The design was chosen in a Royal Institute of British Architects competition

A landmark mosque is set to be built alongside one of the busiest road junctions in Preston after getting the green light from councillors.

The building will be on raised grassland at the Broughton interchange, where the M6, M55 and A6 converge.

Preston City Council's planning committee voted to grant outline approval for the mosque, which will be 40ft (12m) tall.

Objectors claim an influx of worshippers will cause congestion.

More than 625 letters of support were sent to the city council as well as 425 objections, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Members had deferred a decision in July when the design had yet to be chosen in a Royal Institute of British Architects competition.

Councillors wanted to see if the winning design was suitable for the location and whether there was sufficient demand for the mosque.

Planning officers initially recommended refusing the proposal because of the lack of information and its place in an area designated as open countryside in local planning policies.

However, they believe the parking issue has been overcome after the applicant pledged to operate a booking system for spaces enforced by automatic number plate recognition technology.

They concluded while the mosque, which will have a 100ft (30m) tall minaret on top of it, would not normally be suitable for the proposed location, other material planning considerations "tipped the balance" in its favour.

The mosque will be situated where the M6, M55 and A6 converge

Broughton Parish Council chair Pat Hastings told the packed meeting at Preston Town Hall the mosque and minaret would be akin to a stack of eight double-decker buses on a site which was already 40ft (12m) above the motorway junction.

"It is totally out of keeping with the Grade II-listed [St. John's] parish church set in the valley below and is a visual hazard to the motorway," she said.

The meeting heard the applicant identified 311 households "in the immediate local area" for which the proposed building would be their closest place of worship.

Local Scout group leader Fatima Ismail said the need for the mosque was obvious and Muslim families moving from other areas of Preston "should not be deprived of a local place of worship for their religious and spiritual wellbeing".

Alban Cassidy, the agent for the application, said the proposed 150-space car park went "over and above" anything he had ever known for a facility of this type.

However, Preston Rural East ward member Ron Woollam said: "I really don't think much consideration has been given to the current traffic flow situation... the junction and surrounding roads are renowned for heavy congestion."

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