Go-ahead for former library to be used as mosque

A former library is set to be used as mosque, after the move was given the go-ahead.

Monmouthshire council's cabinet agreed to grant a 30-year lease for the empty Abergavenny Library to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association.

But three backbench councillors forced a review using the council's call-in process, which allows members to scrutinise decisions before they take effect.

Two days before a scrutiny committee considered that request, the Grade-II listed building was targeted by Islamophobic vandalism, according the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

At a meeting on Wednesday 25 June, leader Mary Ann Brocklesby said the call-in asked the cabinet to review the decision, but it "does not have the authority to overturn the decision."

Councillor Ben Callard, who is responsible for resources including leases, addressed seven points made by the scrutiny committee.

Callard, the Llanfoist and Govilon member, said he reflected on the points but was not convinced on changing the original decision.

"I think it was the correct one and Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association will be good tenants for this property," he said.

Callard said the council had not set a target rent for the building, and doing so could have "depressed" the price, and defended the four week timeframe for the tender process.

He said a number of "competitive" bids were received and he did not agree the council should have got an independent survey of the building as the authority has the capacity to do so itself.

He also dismissed the suggestion, made by a Conservative councillor, the library built and funded by Scottish-American philanthropists Andrew Carnegie should be sold.

Conservative group leader Richard John claimed taxpayers would be "subsidising" the mosque at the agreed rent of £500 a month, or £6,000 a year.

Callard replied that tax payers will not be subsiding it.

He added the building was put out for a competitive tender and it returned the figures proposed by the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association, which was the highest submission.

He added the lease is on a "full repair" basis which will pass all maintenance responsibilities to the tenants and he described the building as having "significant liabilities".

The lease was also described as a commercial deal and Callard said the Muslim association is not benefiting from a rental agreement, which is a subsidy, that other community groups leasing council buildings enjoy.

Callard also acknowledged it was an "ambition" of the cabinet the local Muslim community should have a mosque.

Concerns from residents over car parking in the area were also acknowledged at the meeting.

Callard said the association has committed to using the three nearby public car parks.

All seven members of the cabinet confirmed their support for the original decision with the lease being offered to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association.