Plans for new Islamic prayer and education centre on the site of a Blackburn nursery are refused

The Muslim Welfare Institute applied for permission to convert the former Emerald Street Nursery into a centre into place of worship and Islamic education, with the erection of a single-storey extension to house ablution and toilet facilities.

The site was originally the offices/gatehouse for the adjacent Vale Mill.

The applicant said the majority of Roe Lee residents identify as Muslim, according to the latest Census, and the centre would fulfil “a growing local demand”.

They argued that the centre would draw its congregation from a particular section of the Muslim community and as such, there would not be a material difference in the number of people attending the premises at any one time, compared to its use as a nursery.

Reasons for refusal

However, planning chiefs at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council didn’t like what they heard, and have thrown out the application. Here are the reasons:

1) They said the proposals would would result in the loss of an employment premises that could potentially be used by smaller scale businesses. They added: “An insufficient level of information has been submitted to justify the proposed alternate uses and the proposed mix of uses contravenes a number of other planning policies.”

2) They said the proposals would involve the introduction of uses that are “significantly more intensive” than the former nursery use, and said it had “the potential to lead to adverse impacts resulting from noise on the health and the quality of life of the immediate neighbours.”

3) Planning bosses said the proposed rear extension would be built an insufficient distance away from main habitable room windows tp the rear of 94 and 96 Cornelian Street, and its massing “would appear adversely oppressive to those neighbours”, causing unacceptable losses of light.

4) Lastly, the council said there would be a “significant” shortfall in off-street vehicle parking facilities and that would cayse an adverse level of conflict between road users, prejudicing the safe, efficient, and convenient movement of highway users, which would in turn lead to an unacceptable impact on highway safety.