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The application is for a site on Sanatorium Road in Canton and includes a 13m dome and 18m minaret

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Plans submitted for a new mosque in Sanatorium Road, CardiffHow the new mosque could look

Plans for a new mosque to be opened in the Canton suburb of Cardiff have been recommended for refusal by planners.

An application has been submitted for the former Ian Williams Ltd site on Sanatorium Road in Canton to be transformed into a mosque with minaret and dome, two-storey Imam’s residence and community hall as well as parking.

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The dome would be 13m tall and minaret 18m tall.

Recommended for refusal
But in a report to go before planners on Wednesday the application for a change in use for the premises is turned down. The reasons for refusal include that the applicant has not demonstrated an increase in vehicle trips would not cause “unacceptable harm to safe and efficient operations of the local highway network”.

It is also said that the proposed dwelling would not allow enough living space for any future occupier.

The report to planners says that the design, including the dome and minaret, is permitted but says they would be “prominent features” in the street.

Plans submitted for a new mosque in Sanatorium Road, CardiffPlans submitted for a new mosque in Sanatorium Road, Cardiff
It says the Imam’s residence would be mainly shielded from view.

Objections have been received from local residents and the nearby Hollies Day Care Nursery. Canton councillor Richard Cook has also submitted an objection saying that it is already a very busy area. There are concerns development at the site will make parking problems worse.

If the application were granted it would mean the amount of floorspace would be increased by 37%.

Application discussed today
But the applicant says the maximum number of people attending a service would be 30 and a large number of worshippers would walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the site.

It also addresses concerns that at festival periods, such as Eid, there would be more worshippers attending the mosque.

The applicant says there are 144 Ahmadiyya Muslims living in the area and although 100 of the group could be expected at Eid festival events, many would instead choose to go to larger services, in for example London.

The application will be discussed at a meeting today

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local ... d-10939799

I suspect there's more to this story than meets the eye. The Ahmadi Muslims are regarded as heretical by both the main branches of Islam whose adherents regularly object to attempts to open Ahmadi Mosques.

I'm not saying there aren't legitimate planning issues involved here - just that some of the objections could be religously motivated.

Ash - I hope that is not the case. Unless there are solid security grounds - preaching hatred etc - there are surely no reasons to prevent a place of worship being opened. Whether or not the other branches of Islam like it or not is irrelevant.

Tumble weed rolls around this thread!
I'm not making any comments either

I don't know enough about the location or proposal to comment really. I agree it would be an awful indictment if the decision followed complaints that were motivated by intolerance - whether by fellow Muslims or non-Muslims.

Cardiff could actually do with a decent looking Mosque though. Something that could become a bit of a focus for an admittedly large and disparate community, and which could be a centre for outreach and engagement to the wider community of non-Muslims (This obviously wasn't such a Mosque, being quite small for a minority sect).

RandomComment wrote:
Cardiff could actually do with a decent looking Mosque though. Something that could become a bit of a focus for an admittedly large and disparate community, and which could be a centre for outreach and engagement to the wider community of non-Muslims (This obviously wasn't such a Mosque, being quite small for a minority sect).

I agree - Islamic architecture can be incredibly attractive when its kept simple and we've seen very few new public spaces developed in Cardiff since the turn of the century. There's only the WMC and the Senedd really. Something like the Regent's Park Mosque or the Central Mosque in Birmingham would be fantastic.

Everything seems to have on gone quiet on the proposals for the Madina Mosque in Cathays. I seem to remember them getting bogged down in intra-Muslim legal action.

Ash wrote:

RandomComment wrote:
Cardiff could actually do with a decent looking Mosque though. Something that could become a bit of a focus for an admittedly large and disparate community, and which could be a centre for outreach and engagement to the wider community of non-Muslims (This obviously wasn't such a Mosque, being quite small for a minority sect).

I agree - Islamic architecture can be incredibly attractive when its kept simple and we've seen very few new public spaces developed in Cardiff since the turn of the century. There's only the WMC and the Senedd really. Something like the Regent's Park Mosque or the Central Mosque in Birmingham would be fantastic.

Everything seems to have on gone quiet on the proposals for the Madina Mosque in Cathays. I seem to remember them getting bogged down in intra-Muslim legal action.

That image above is hilarious. Palm trees in Cathays...

I do agree that in terms of archirecture a central mosque in Cardiff would be an attractive addition. At the moment most mosques are converted houses/churches and the only purpose built one I can think of is in Butetown and that is really very modest in scale. Considering Cardiff has one of the longest standing muslim communities in Britain its odd that no buildings of real note have been built.

As a personal observation in terms of religous architecture (outside of christianity) I don't think Cardiff does very well. The new synagogue in Penylan is just dull. The various Sikh gurdwara's are either converted churches or the modest purpose built temple on Ninian Park rd. The Hindu temple in Grangetown is attractive but quite small in scale and the Greek Othodox church is a riot inside but on the outside pretty nondescript.