Controversial mosque plan refused
Good News from the Midlands. I was wrong, or more accurately, The Express and Star was wrong. Thanks to Luke for this link to the BBC.
A Muslim association has criticised a council's decision not to grant planning permission for a £6m mosque.
Dudley's planning committee voted unanimously to refuse outline permission. Thousands of signatures and letters of objection had been sent.
Khurshid Ahmed, chair of Dudley Muslim Association, said it was "very likely" to appeal and accused the council of going back on a land exchange deal.
The council said the land had been designated for employment purposes.
Mr Ahmed said it was not the end despite the decision on Tuesday.
The council's chair of development control, Tim Wright, said the land had been designated for employment purposes under the council's recent Unitary Development Plan (UDP). "They have shown there would be 112 jobs, of which 37 were part-time. In my opinion as a member of the development control committee I don't think they've justified providing sufficient employment. If we'd been asked to go away from the policy already, it almost seems a worthless policy."
Posted on 10:09 AM by Esmerelda Weatherwax
