Plans to turn former car showroom into mosque scrapped after hundreds of objections

A planning application to turn a former car showroom into a mosque has been thrown out after major parking concerns. Almost 200 complaints have been raised about the proposal to turn the property in Avenue Road, Kings Heath, into an education center and place of worship.

Concerns centered on parking, increases in traffic, collisions at the junction, the residential nature of the street, lack of housing, grass verge parking and whether the center would be subject to Ofsted inspections. Another objection cited in the report was the fear that it would “unjustify the activity of the low-traffic Quarter”.

Councilor Lisa Trickett criticized the “lack of parking” and “likely significant increase in traffic” that would be caused by the facility in her statement. She said: “This will impact on a residential area which is already experiencing significant traffic problems. Plans show two parking spaces.

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“There is a suggestion that as this site was previously a car showroom there is ample parking. However, that space is not something that is easily or adequately used as a parking lot.”

Councilor David Barker said: “Currently you can fit dozens of cars there (at the expense of residents trying to walk) but that won’t be the case until something is done about this location. The side roads along the Avenue are already very congested and, as part of the LTN area, do not allow through traffic for anyone.

“They state that the community lives locally, but this is not qualified at all. How close is the venue? Will everyone be able to walk? If not, as they suggest using Avenue Road as a parking lot where they plan to store the cars coming.

“I would also question what kind of center it will be, given that there are quite a few similar places of worship incredibly close by, and what purpose they will serve.”

There were 13 letters and emails backing the plans, with people saying it would be well maintained and an asset to the area, a benefit to the community and reduce “anti-social behavior by a regular footfall”.

Outlining the council’s reasons for refusing the application, the officer said: “The proposed use would result in a large number of people traveling to and from the property, there are very few parking spaces proposed and this would result in the parking needs of the proposed cars. use being shifted to the wider street network to the detriment of neighboring residents and the safety of pedestrians and vehicles on the motorway.”