'Visionary' plan to redevelop Lewisham Islamic Centre approved
The planning committee heard that the existing facilities were no longer "fit for purpose" and new purpose-built development would bring benefits to the congregation and wider local community.
The Islamic Centre on Lewisham High Street has an interesting planning history.
Back in February 2001, planning permission was granted to change the use of a former nightclub and 4-bedroom maisonette in Catford into a place of religious worship.
Twenty-four years on, Lewisham Islamic Centre has been granted approval for its redevelopment.
The plans cover demolition of the existing buildings at 363 - 369 Lewisham High Street and at 2A/B Mount Pleasant Road, and the construction of a building of four-storeys with a basement to accommodate a place of worship and other facilities.
They include construction of an adjoining part-three and part-four storey residential building, providing six apartments.
Planning committee review
Lewisham council planning committee considering the application on Tuesday 25 November first heard from planning officers, who set out the details of the proposal.
Officers reported that the centre serves as a vital hub for the local Muslim community, but has struggled to accommodate the growing number of worshippers.
The chair of the committee, councillor Lavery (Sydenham ward), questioned the planning officer about the proposed travel plan, which is intended to address harmful impacts of parking in the local area.
The planning officer said that it should lead to greater use of car sharing, but also encourage use of public transport and active travel.
The committee also heard from from Alban Cassidy, chartered town planner who spoke on behalf of the applicant, as well as Mohammed Afaq, the architect of the proposed buildings.
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Setting out the reasons for the redevelopment, Cassidy said the Lewisham Islamic Centre was “not fit for purpose".
He went on to describe some of the advantages of the redevelopment, including 69% carbon dioxide savings and improvements to ensure fewer people have to queue up to enter the centre, as is frequently the case on Fridays.
He highlighted that it will be a distinctive and attractive building that would be highly visible and will “make the high street better.”
He drew attention to the Community Infrastructure Levy (to both Lewisham Council and the Mayor of London) of £381,000 that the development will pay.
Summarising the overall importance of the application, he highlighted the wide range of facilities, stating “it’s not just a place to pray, it’s a place to learn, it’s a place to get community support, it’s a place to keep fit.”
Councillor Jacq Paschoud (Bellingham ward) asked about the risk of subsidence and collapse in the nearby pavements, due to the development including a new basement.
Other questions asked by councillors covered the loss of the nursey and the impact on parking in the local area.
In response to parking concerns, Lewisham planning officers highlighted that the development had a requirement of a financial contribution of £15,000 towards a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) consultation, to review the hours of the existing CPZ and the possibility of extending it to weekends.
The site is within Rushey Green East controlled CPZ.
Other assurances were also given, including that the scheme would have a detailed Travel Plan and an agreement with a Car Club operator to provide three years' membership to the first household of each residential unit.
Questioning by councillors also touched upon the hours that the centre will operate and issues with potentially more people attending the mosque.
Cassidy stressed that they were not expecting a growth in long distance journeys to the mosque, and explained that as prayers are during the working week most people opt to go the nearest mosque.
He disagreed with the suggestion that new facilities would draw new people in. In relation to early and late prayers he highlighted that these attract relatively low numbers of people.
No local residents spoke against the planning application, but two residents spoke in favour.
"About time" the community had a purpose-built place of workship
Councillor Anwar (Crofton Park ward), although not a member of the committee, was given an opportunity to speak.
He pointed out that Islam is the second largest faith in Lewisham, and it was “about time that the Muslim community had a purpose-built, modern and dignified place of worship".
Speaking in favour of the application, he highlighted that the application even had an operational management plan, which he believed was an unusual detail for a place of worship.
He commended the application for having a Community Access Plan, which will require the facilities to be made available for a minimum of 15 hours per week for community and voluntary groups, at rates equivalent to similar council facilities in the local area.
After questioning came to an end Councillor Rathbone (Lee Green ward) proposed accepting approval, stating “it is a strong application” which is “proposing to replace a low quality set of buildings which have been converted to religious use .. with a dedicated facility of high quality in a prime development corridor for the borough”.
The application was approved unanimously by the committee.
Following the meeting, Lewisham Islamic Centre issued a statement expressing their thanks to Lewisham Council, to their congregation, and to the local community “whose patience, understanding, and forbearance throughout this journey have meant more to us than words can express.
"Their goodwill and resilience have been a true testament to community spirit. We thank them wholeheartedly for standing with us.”
A report that went before the committee is available on Lewisham council’s meetings website, the webcast of the meeting is here.
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