An example of British National Party propaganda against the proposed centreControversial plans for Oswestry's first Muslim centre have been given the go-ahead. It will be sited in a 19th century former Presbyterian church.

The bid to change the church in Oswald Road, into a Muslim prayer centre sparked more than 70 objections and led to the town being targeted in a leafleting campaign by the British National Party.

But more than 40 people wrote in support of the bid by Oswestry Muslim Society and permission was given by Shropshire Council planning officers under delegated powers.

Planning officers revealed today that some of the objectors' views had not been placed on the council planning website where the public's representations can normally be viewed as they were of a "sensitive and potentially provocative nature".

A planning report said: "There have been a substantial number of representations received both in support of (41) and objection to (72) the proposal. Many of these relate either entirely or primarily to the race and/or religion of the applicants and individual perceptions about the potential influence on both the local and wider community. These matters are not material planning considerations and should not play any part in the determination of the application."

It said the bid was approved as the proposed use was appropriate for the building and would not have an adverse impact on the area.

Shropshire Star, 31 January 2013

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Byker Grove will be transformed into an Islamic school. Council planning chiefs have given the go-ahead to plans to convert Bishop's Palace – used to film the popular TV series – into a fee-paying faith school.

The BAHR Academy will cater for up to 340 boys and girls between 11 and 16 in Benwell, Newcastle. But the development of the currently empty and run-down site will also include a community building, coffee shop and events space open at weekends.

The plans were approved by Newcastle City Council at a meeting yesterday despite some objections being raised by residents about traffic congestion and noise around the site, which was used to film the children's TV show which launched Ant and Dec and Donna Air to fame.

BAHR Academy principal Mufti Muhammad Abdulmuheet welcomed the decision, which he said will see a derelict building put back into the community.

"When it was run by the BBC, the site was not open to everyone but we want the public to come along, the community facilities are for everyone to use," he said. "We want to show that Islam is inclusive and we want to be a part of Benwell and Scotswood. At the moment the building is in a dire state but the community has raised funds to bring it back into use."

Evening Chronicle, 15 December 2012

Needless to say, the English Defence League are not happy.

The EDL staged a protest at the site in November 2010, during which they chanted "scum" and "no surrender to the Taliban". A week earlier a pig's head was left outside the building. The British National Party was also involved in the campaign against what it called "Burka Grove".

The EDL demonstration was organised by former BNP parliamentary candidate Alan Spence, who recently served a 7-month prison sentence for his part in an attack by an EDL gang on Tyneside Irish Centre.

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A new £500,000 mosque in Lincoln has been granted unanimous approval by city councillors.

The proposed two-storey place of worship at the old Boultham Dairy initially sparked controversy which led to a petition against the plans from Boultham Residents' Association.

Members were concerned about the level of traffic the building would bring to the area. But the group has since come out in support of the mosque scheme put forward by the Islamic Association of Lincoln.

The City of Lincoln Council only received five letters of objection – mostly about concerns over traffic congestion – while six letters were sent in which backed the project.

City planners recommended councillors approved the scheme, on the condition that 68 car parking spaces and entry to the site from Dixon Street are in place before the building is used.

Planners had already approved the scheme in principle this time last year, when a new supermarket and housing on the site were also agreed.

A report to the council stated: "The access, landscaping, appearance, scale and layout proposed are consistent with the details provided at the outline stage and will result in a development will fit satisfactorily into its local context."

The building will also be available for use by the wider community.

This is Lincolnshire, 7 November 2012

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A French appeals court granted permission Tuesday for the building of a mega-mosque in the southern city of Marseille that has been touted as a symbol of Islam's growing place in France.

The court overturned an October ruling by Marseille's administrative tribunal that cancelled the project's construction permit for supposed failures to meet urban-planning requirements.

A community association led by a local butcher had filed a complaint against the building permit, saying the mosque project did not fit with the surrounding urban environment.

The project was granted a permit in September 2009 but construction was suspended following complaints from local residents and businesses.

The 22-million-euro ($28-million) project would see the Grand Mosque, boasting a minaret soaring 25-metres (82-feet) high and room for up to 7,000 worshippers, built in the city's northern Saint-Louis area.

Muslim leaders in the Mediterranean city had hailed the approval of the project as a key step in recognising the importance of Marseille's large Muslim community.

France's second city is home to an estimated 250,000 Muslims, many of whom flock to makeshift prayer houses in basements, rented rooms and dingy garages to worship.

Home to Europe's biggest Muslim minority, estimated at between five and six million, France has for years been debating how far it is willing to go to accommodate Islam, now the country's second religion.

The appeals court in December also rejected complaints against the mosque project filed by France's National Front (FN) party and another far-right group.

AFP, 19 June 2012

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