Calls for mosque at Factory St, Granville, to be rejected
A panel will decide next week if a mosque is approved at Granville despite Cumberland Council recommending it be rejected.
A panel will decide next week if a mosque is approved at Granville despite Cumberland Council recommending it be rejected.
Charity AA Noor, which now worships at Cowper St, Granville, plans to build the mosque in an industrial area 2C Factory St.
The council has received 73 submissions, including a 17-signature petition, opposing the plans while 46 submissions support it.
This included three petitions with more than 280 letters of support for the Islamic place of worship.
Mosque spokesman Enayat Hassib said there was a need for a mosque at Granville because the Afghan community had to travel to Blacktown or Campbelltown to hear Farsi-speaking services.
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GAT and Associates submitted the plans for the Islamic place of worship with a prayer room and reading room, to be built over a two-storey carpark, in December.
It would operate between 8am and 10pm Monday to Saturday and between 3pm and 10pm on Sunday.
The council advised the Cumberland Local Planning Panel to reject the plans, citing the number of mosques already in the community.
Cumberland Mayor Greg Cummings said the application failed parking requirements to cater for the number of worshippers.
A council report said a minimum of 556 paces were provided but the application only allocated 187 spaces.
Mr Hassib said there would be about 300 worshippers and AA Noor spent money on consultants who determined 185 spaces would be sufficient.
He also parking would be ideal for The Rock Church worshippers next door at Factory St, Granville.
“If we’re going to build this carpark, it will be a good opportunity for them,’’ he said.
Public submissions against the plans said there were enough Islamic places of worship.
Cr Cummings said: “I know that there are quite a few prayer rooms in the Cumberland LGA but, like anything, there are quite a few denominations of all religions and it would be a bit like saying in the Christian faith ‘because we have Baptist or Anglican you don’t need a Methodist (church)’.
“The main issue is the lack of parking requirements for the number of worshippers.”
A panel will determine if the application is approved on Wednesday.
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