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Decision due on plans to turn building into mosque

George Carden/BBC A yellow building where the mosque is proposed to open in. It has a small number of parking spaces which have cars parked in them. In the background is a pub called The Crown and an alleyway leading to the main shopping high street.George Carden/BBC
Littlehampton Muslim Trust bought the site in Littlehampton for almost £300,000

A decision on whether to convert a former shop into a mosque in West Sussex is due to be made later.

Littlehampton Muslim Trust bought the site in St Martin's Lane in the town for almost £300,000 and wants to use it for daily prayers and as a community centre.

Arun District Council has received more than 100 objections, mostly with concerns about parking, noise pollution, and harm to neighbouring businesses.

The application has also received 27 letters of support which state there is enough parking in the area and it is in a good location for public transport.

The trust currently rents a space at a nearby church for Friday prayers and during Ramadan but said otherwise people would have to travel 10 miles to Worthing.

Khawar Shahzad, one of the trust's founders, said: "We're probably going to be living the rest of our life in Littlehampton. We all have businesses here - some have been serving Littlehampton for 40-odd years.

"My children deserve to have their own place where they can go freely to pray or meet friends and local community. "

He said the trust had been in a nearby church for six years and had not had any noise complaints.

"It will only be indoors and no speakers," he explained.

The site was a mobility shop for 25 years which closed in April last year and has been unused since.

Mr Shahzad said: "We have plenty of parking in Littlehampton. The high street is dying.

"It will help all the small businesses if more people come here."

George Carden/BBC Two of the members, Anthony Joy and Khawar Shahzad, standing outside in a street smiling. Mr Joy is wearing a green jacket and flat cap, while Mr Shahzad is wearing a long wool coat, shirt and jumper.George Carden/BBC
Khawar Shahzad (right) seen here with another trust member, said they had never had noise complaints before

The application said the building would be used for five daily prayers which last up to 15 minutes at dawn, between 04:30 and 06:30, and between sunset and midnight (20:30 to 22:30).

The planning application report said up to 150 people could attend for prayers and other events, although it also said that between five and 50 people are expected for daily prayers.

It said there were 346 parking spaces within 500 metres of the site but the potential number of people attending could put "undue strain" on parking in the area.

Comments supporting the application said the current Friday prayers at Littlehampton United Church had "no impact on parking".

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