Children's ‘religious tuition’ centre coming to busy Preston street amid ‘shortfall' in Islamic facilities
A nursery will also be established at the site.
An after-school facility for teaching Muslim children about their faith is to open in a Preston suburb after getting the green light from planning officials.
The ‘religious tuition’ centre - on Garstang Road in Fulwood - will also operate as a nursery during the day and provide a homework club.
Applicant Fylde Estates Ltd. told Preston City Council that there was a local “shortfall” in places offering Islamic religious instruction - with waiting lists both at establishments linked to mosques and those operating independently.
“The aim is to provide religious tuition coupled with physical activity to nurture a healthier lifestyle which is only available at a few of the mainstream facilities in Preston,” documents submitted to the authority explained.
The tuition facilities will cater for up to 90 youngsters, aged between five and 13, with boys and girls being taught separately. Meanwhile, the nursery will offer 24 places for the under-fives and the homework club 10 places for the over-14s.
The proposal also set out plans for career guidance sessions, adult training and seminars at the weekend and community health and wellbeing programmes for the elderly - amounting to what was described as “a wide-ranging level of service to the community”.
The operation will be based across all three floors of the property, which has functioned as offices since being converted from a semi-detached residential dwelling - and was most recently in use as a solicitors before being vacated in 2024.
In spite of the site having 38 parking spaces - the majority at the rear of the premises - highways officials at Lancashire County Council had initially raised concern about the impact on the busy Garstang Road of “intensified” periods of drop-offs and pick-ups of students.
However, after liaising with the applicant, a revised plan was agreed that will ensure all collections are made off street - and three spaces will be reserved at the front of the property for that purpose. Double yellow lines will be painted on the highway as part of the arrangement.
In addition, the two planned tuition sessions to be held during late afternoon and early evening, Monday to Thursday, will be staggered so that there is a half-hour gap between the end of the first and the start of the second in order to reduce the risk of causing traffic congestion.
The building will be open between 8am and 8.30pm on weekdays and 9am and 6pm at the weekend.
City council planners concluded that the proposal was suitable for the location and had the added benefit of bringing a vacant building back into use.