The planning application for a new mosque in Broughton have been deferred waiting for further details.

It was expected to be refused on the grounds that it had a lack of detailed plans but the decision to defer was made instead.

The lack of design was due to the fact that there was a competition in place to design the new mosque.

However, the plans were also recommended for refusal because it would be built in an open countryside area.

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The refusal recommendation also mentioned that it would cause ‘an unacceptable impact of highway safety’ due to parking regulations in that area.

Councillor Pat Hastings, Broughton Parish council chairman said: “The Parish Council were concerned that the recommendation in the Officer’s report was not accepted by the majority of the Councillors on the Planning Committee. The unusual decision to defer until the design is in place and the parking and traffic issues have acceptable solutions seem to go against planning policy.

“The late response from LCC raised several really valid points. But LCC’s dismissal of the traffic count commissioned by the Parish Council as invalid as it was taken during the covid -19 pandemic (May 2021) was unfortunate. 

“The fact that the Councillors had not ventured to D’Urton Lane and now needed a site visit was included in their reasons to defer!”

450 worshippers would be able to fit in the mosque at any one time with 146 car parking spaces.

The first proposal includes access to the building from existing access on the south side of D’Urton Lane which would be changed to form a T-junction with pedestrian access each side of the access.

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However, the proposed site was recently subject to racist grafitti as well as anonymous leaflets were also posted through doors opposing the plans.

The agent for the application is Cassidy+Ashton.

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