Government rejects West Ham mega-mosque appeal

I didn’t doubt Andrew Gilligan on Sunday but it is always nice to have good news officially confirmed. From the Newham Recorder.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced that appeals relating to the planned mosque in West Ham have been dismissed.

The main appeal was into Newham Council’s unanimous refusal of planning permission for a large new mosque at the Abbey Mills Riverine Centre back in December 2012..

A second appeal sought temporary permission to use the existing building as a place of worship should the main appeal be rejected.

Following the appeal, a three week planning inquiry was held last year, with the outcome leaked by sources close to the scheme earlier this week.

It was announced on Thursday that all the appeals have been rejected.

A spokesman for the DCLG said: “Ministers have today dismissed appeals on the refusal of planning permission for a mosque in the London borough of Newham. The decision was based on concerns that include local housing provision and conflict with the council’s local plan for the borough. It also took account of the evidence from all parties and is in line with the council’s original determination and advice from the independent planning inspector on the main appeal.”

A third appeal was against an enforcement notice requiring the appellants, the Anjuman-E-Islahul-Muslimeen Trust, to cease using the site as a place of worship.

They now have three months to comply with this upheld enforcement notice.