The controversial West Ham mega mosque, which was threatened with eviction by Newham Council has won a reprieve from the Master of the Rolls.
A council injunction ordering the demolition of the mosque has been suspended until Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, takes a decision on Newham’s planning application for the site.
The injunction was made because the mosque trustees were in breach of a unilateral undertaking to put in a valid and policy-compliant planning application by February 28th 2012.
Expansion plans
The trustees had planned to expand the capacity of the building from 2,500 to 12,000 worshippers making it the largest mosque in Europe.
The MegaMosqueNoThanks.com campaign, led by former Newham Councillor Alan Craig, has supported the council’s decision to demolish the mosque.
‘Disappointing’
"It is no surprise that the mega-mosque's appeal has been upheld, temporarily at least. But it is disappointing that the mega-mosque trustees continue to flout the law and break solemn agreements yet they seem to suffer no penalty,” commented Mr Craig.
He added: “The UK authorities - local, planning and judicial - bend over backwards to accommodate their demands, yet all they seem to do is come back with more."
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