A Cumbrian council has issued a statement following continuing protests at the site of a planned Islamic centre in South Cumbria.
Work is ongoing to build to the South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton-in-Furness and there have been several protests against it.
The most recent was on Saturday.
Westmorland & Furness Council has issued a statement in response to the latest protests and other issues around immigration and the recent Raise the Flags campaign.
Helen Chaffey, cabinet member for communities, customer services, culture and communications, issued the statement on behalf of the authority.
She said: “Westmorland and Furness is proud to be a caring and inclusive council. Our values commit us to ensuring everyone feels safe, respected and able to thrive, whatever their background.
“We believe in people’s right to express their views, but we must also be clear that racism, Islamophobia and misinformation have no place in our community.
“Community cohesion matters. It means people of different backgrounds living and working alongside each other with mutual respect and shared responsibility.
“When cohesion is threatened, whether by myths about people seeking asylum, hostility directed at the South Lakes Islamic Centre in Dalton, or the misuse of national symbols in attempts to divide rather than unite, we have both a moral duty and a legal duty under the Equality Act to stand up for inclusion and fairness.
“Our communities have a long and proud history of providing safe refuge for those fleeing conflict and persecution — from the post-war welcome of the Windermere Children, young survivors of Nazi concentration camps, to more recent support for families from the Balkans, Syria, Afghanistan and Ukraine.
“That tradition continues today, but it is made harder by problems in the national asylum system: delays, lack of clarity, and pressure on local services. We need to see improvements that are fair both to people seeking protection and to the communities that welcome them.
“Ultimately, we want Westmorland and Furness to continue to be a place where everyone feels welcome, where disagreements are debated respectfully, and where the focus is on building safe, strong and confident communities.”
FAQs – The South Lakes Islamic Prayer Centre
Westmorland & Furness Council’s position: “We support people’s right to practise their religion free from harassment and abuse, noting that the prayer centre has followed all necessary procedures to gain planning permission.”
A planning application for the centre in Dalton was legally and properly approved in December 2022 by the former Barrow Borough Council.
This democratic process included opportunities for comments, objections and representations from stakeholders, including the local community. There were 21 letters of objection received from the community responses and 18 letters of support.
The representations were considered alongside all relevant planning policy, the council said and added: “Any material planning matters were considered and balanced in making the decision.”
It is not in the Lake District National Park, as has been widely and incorrectly reported.
If it was in the national park, the decision over planning permission would have been made by the Lake District National Park Authority, not Barrow Borough Council.
It is also not in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as has also been claimed.
The approved planning application is for a community centre and prayer hall.
The council added: “The issue has subsequently provided an ongoing focus for misinformation and divisive, sometimes racist and Islamophobic commentary.
“The Public Sector Equality Duty requires the council to eliminate discrimination and harassment against those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, these protected characteristics include religious belief.
“Having gone through the formal planning system and received all necessary permissions, we fully support the right of the South Lakes Islamic Prayer Centre to operate openly and without fear of harassment or abuse, no different from any other church or place of worship.
