A town council has expressed reservations about a plan to build a prayer hall and community centre in Furness.
Dalton with Newton Town Council says the South Lakes Islamic Centre would have a monolithic feel and impact on the privacy of nearby properties.
The prayer hall would be built on land at Crooklands Brow, Ulverston Road, Dalton.
The plan is due to be scrutinised by a meeting of Barrow Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday.
In a pre-meeting report, a spokesman for Dalton with Newton Town Council says the prayer hall would be completely out of context for the location and could have a detrimental effect on the existing properties and the wider area.
“Given its elevated location, the building would be highly visible from a large area of the town,” says the spokesman.
He says users of the roof garden that is planned for the 3.5-storey centre would have a clear view into the gardens and homes nearby, making the size of the building an unneighbourly development.
“The town council note the concerns of the local community with regards to parking provision, which is considered inadequate for the size of the building and the projected number of users,” he says.
“Should the concerns of residents be proved correct, it is inevitable that parking at the roadside on Crooklands Brow/Ulverston Road will occur.”
The town council requests that double yellow lines be introduced to prevent parking at the roadside.
In the council report, case officer Barry Jesson says the development provides ‘sufficient’ off-road parking – 17 spaces, including one for disabled parking and one for a minibus, and an additional motorcycle space – to meet its needs.
He says the existing background noise from a busy road alongside separation from dwellings of approximately 50m prevents any concerns with general noise or loss of privacy for neighbours.
“The development contributes positively towards the wellbeing of the community through the provision of public prayer and community space to engage with the wider community,” he says.
“This plays an important social role which weighs in favour of granting permission.”
