New Islamic Prayer Room and Madrasa Approved in Preston
Despite concerns raised about parking space, the proposal was approved during a committee meeting.
The premises, formerly occupied by the Bronze Sun Salon, will undergo conversion to create a ground-floor worship space and a Madrasa for children in the flat above. In response to concerns, several adjustments were made to the plans. The maximum occupancy of the prayer room was reduced from 50 to 25 people at any given time, and the proposed operating hours were shortened from 5 am to 11 pm to 7 am to 11 pm. The Madrasa will have the capacity to host four classes, each accommodating up to 12 students, Lancashire Post reported on Saturday.
County Hall had no objections to the revised plans on highway safety grounds. The applicant provided transportation estimates based on a similar facility in Huddersfield, indicating that approximately 19 percent of attendees would arrive by car, with an additional 58 percent as passengers in those vehicles, and the remaining attendees arriving on foot.
The site will offer eight off-street parking spaces—two at the front and six to the rear. In the "worst case scenario," four vehicles might need to use roadside parking, a situation that was deemed manageable.
The application received overwhelming support from the community, with 99 letters of support and only 10 letters of objection, five of which originated from the same address. Supporters argued that the proposed facilities would address the local demand for a place of worship, while objectors expressed concerns about potential highway safety impacts.
The planning committee unanimously approved the application, allowing the transformation of the former sunbed shop into a valuable resource for the local Islamic community.
Source: Agencies
