Hanley mosque to be finished by August

BUILDING work on a controversial £1.6 million mosque and community centre is expected to be completed by August.

Builders moved on to the Hanley site last January and work has now passed the halfway mark.

Rana Tufail, director of the Islamic Centre and co-ordinator of the Regent Road development, said: "We are very pleased with how work on the mosque has been progressing. It has been like clockwork.

"There isn't a purpose-built place of worship for Muslims in the city, and therefore this development is an important one for all the community."

The Islamic Centre and the Stoke-on-Trent Muslim Welfare and Community Association approached Stoke-on-Trent City Council with a view to developing a community centre and mosque on Regent Road in 2000.

Planning permission was granted for the site in August 2005.

Leading politicians criticised the council for not running any consultations on the plans, and British National Party officials later made a formal offer for the land.

Criticism also came when Stoke-on-Trent City Council offered to release the land for an annual rent of just £1.

However, in July 2006 a report concluded the scheme should go ahead and it was given the green light by councillors two months later.

Money needed to build the mosque is being raised by the Muslim community through appeals and events such as dinners.

Mr Tufail said he is confident that enough money will be raised on time, but asked people to keep contributing.

He said: "As the work goes on to build the mosque we keep raising funds and the community keeps contributing.

"I'm confident the funds will come in but we are still appealing to our Muslim brothers and sisters to keep contributing."

Planning permission still needs to be granted for a community centre on the site. Funding for this is expected to come from grants.

Mr Tufail added: "We would like to get the community centre built as soon as possible, and hope to get it up and running at the same time as the mosque.

"The mosque will be the first of its kind in the city, and along with the community centre it will be a building which the community can be proud of."

Hanley West and Shelton ward member councillor Mohammad Iqbal is a supporter of the mosque.

He said: "The mosque is very important for the city and will be of great value to the Muslim community.

"The community centre will be a multi-cultural centre with education classes, games for children, fitness classes and IT sessions.

"We hope to start work on that as soon as possible."