Wakefield: Plans for temporary place of worship approved while city's first purpose-built mosque is rebuilt
Plans have been approved for a temporary mosque to be installed while a new permanent place of worship is rebuilt in Wakefield.
Wakefield Council has already approved an application for Jamia Masjid Swafia, on Park Hill Lane, Eastmoor, to be demolished.
It was the city’s first purpose-built mosque when it opened in the early 1980s.
Planning officers gave the go-ahead in April 2023 for a new two-storey mosque to be constructed which would double the space available at the site.
A further application to install temporary buildings on the car park was this week given the green light while building work is completed.
A report said the temporary facilities would reduce the number of car parking spaces at the site from 40 to 28.
A council highways development officer said the reduction was “unlikely to result in a material increase in traffic generation or parking demand.”
According to the mosque website, the new building will more than double the available floor space when completed and will include classrooms, a new kitchen and office space.
It says: “The Masjid has always been run, maintained and funded for by the local Wakefield Muslim community.
“The largest proportion of Muslims in Wakefield are of Pakistani origin.
“However, in recent years the local Muslim community has become more diverse with Muslims from Europe and Africa settling in Wakefield.
“As the community has grown and the needs have increased, we now need to think about the future.”
The mosque committee and trustees initially considered building an extension but it was “deemed more cost effective” to knock it down and build a replacement.
The statement adds: “The dream is not to just create a Masjid, but to create a ‘hub’ where our community can come to learn about Islam, seek help and advice, a place where young people can come and escape from the societal problems that are affecting the youth of today.
“Moving forward, we need to think about how the Masjid can grow and benefit the future generations and the wider community for many years to come.”