Plan to turn former village hall into mosque given green light by councillors
Plans to transform a former Yorkshire village hall into a mosque have been approved by Kirklees Council.
The former Fartown Village Hall at Ballroyd Road, which has been vacant since 2017, was offloaded by Kirklees Council by auction in a bid to raise some extra cash.
It was listed with a guide price between £175,000 and £200,000 but was purchased for £322,000.
Following the sale, a planning application was put in by The Peace Hall Ltd, seeking permission to repurpose the building as a mosque. The applicant says this won’t involve any external alterations to the building.
Twenty-nine comments were made by members of the public, the vast majority of which were in support of the plans. One person commented: “This is great news for me as I have to travel a lot further away to pray and attend a local mosque which can take a lot longer due to traffic in Birkby. For myself and my children, we are looking forward to this new mosque, as it’s been long overdue in the local area.”
Another said: “I am writing to express my full support for the proposed change of use from a village hall to a mosque in Fartown. I have been a resident of the area since 1988 and have witnessed the community evolve into a vibrant, multicultural neighbourhood with growing needs for local, inclusive spaces.”
Planning policy says that proposals involving the loss of a community facility, such as a pub, village hall, and shops, can only be allowed when it is demonstrated that there is no longer a need for it and all options, including the scope for alternative community users, have been considered.
A supporting document on behalf of the applicant explains that the hall being sold off by the council after becoming ‘surplus to requirements’ demonstrates that there is no longer a need for the facility. It also states that the proposed use will “benefit much of the local population”, with the site therefore continuing to have a community usage.
Permission was granted subject to several conditions including: that development begin within the next three years; the submission and approval of a vehicle and parking management plan; and that the development is in line with the noise management plan submitted as part of the application.