Over 1,300 people have now signed a petition in opposition to plans for a new Islamic community centre in Timperley – but the Altrincham & Hale Muslim Association (AHMA) insists there are “no other available and suitable” sites.
An application to build the 2,000 sq m, two-storey building on Green Belt off Thorley Lane will be submitted within the next fortnight.
The AHMA claims there is a “compelling and urgent need” for the new facility as the number of local Muslims has outgrown its current base on Grove Lane, with up to 500 worshippers attending the former St David’s Church centre in peak times.
It claims that building a replacement building on Grove Lane is “not a feasible option” and that the land opposite Wyevale World of Pets and Leisure and World of Water Aquatic Centre – which is owned by two private individuals – “ticks all of the boxes”.
The plans have caused considerable concern among local residents, largely because the intended land is classed as Green Belt, and over 1,300 have signed a petition calling on Trafford Council to “Say no to the Mosque in Timperley”.
The AHMA claim the land has more in common with brownfield than Green Belt land, and believes it can demonstrate the “very special circumstances” required to allow its development to go ahead.
On a new website set up to present the case for the community centre, it says its self-funded project will “remediate the site, provide significant landscaping and improve the openness of the land”.
“The land is unsightly and has been used for general waste, including the storage of old cars. As a consequence, the land has become contaminated,” it adds.
One neighbour to the proposed site, Rachel Walker, has contacted us to claim that the land is in her opinion very much still a Green Belt area. “They’ve been very clever with the photographs they used of the tiny section of this land that is messy,” she said. “I live opposite this field and have many beautiful photographs of it.”
The AHMA, which says there will be no call to prayer at the new centre, insists that should it get the go ahead, the new facility will be “open to all”.
“As well as being a place of worship, the centre will include facilities for the local community such as a crèche, meeting rooms, parent and baby groups, youth clubs, a café and a Garden of Contemplation.”
It also sought to dispute claims that the new facility would lead to a large amount of extra traffic and parking issues.
“We know that the local community will want reassurance that our proposals will give due consideration to issues relating to transport,” it said. “The site entrance and exit for vehicles and pedestrians will be through a new access on Thorley Lane.
“Our planning application will include a detailed Highways Assessment and an associated Travel Plan which cover these issues in more detail. We know from the Highways Assessment that the busy ‘peak’ times on Thorley Lane do not coincide with the new centre’s expected peak times. For example, we can say with some certainty that very few people will be wishing to access the new centre during school drop-off and collection times.”
It added: “The proposal will not only create a place of worship but also where the Muslim community can come together socially and where links to the wider community and faiths in Altrincham and Hale can be fostered.”
