Sunderland Central Mosque given green light for extension despite police parking concerns

A Sunderland mosque has won permission to create new and extended facilities for worshippers, despite concerns about potential parking impacts.

The city council’s planning department has approved an application for works to Sunderland Central Mosque, also known as Sunderland Jami-Masjid, in Chester Road, close to the city centre.

Sunderland Central Mosque has been granted permission to expand. Concerns had been raised about the impact increased space could have on footfall and parking, but it was ruled the expansion was not likely to result in more worshippers attending.

placeholder image — Sunderland Central Mosque has been granted permission to expand. Concerns had been raised about the impact increased space could have on footfall and parking, but it was ruled the expansion was not likely to result in more worshippers attending.

Plans submitted earlier this year proposed a single-storey extension, essentially joining a property in Western Hill into the mosque and retaining a single first-floor flat connected to the mosque’s operation.

A council report said the remainder of the works included the “internal reconfiguration and external refurbishment of the building”, with floor plans setting out some of the facilities offered.

This includes changes to the prayer hall, a new library room, an education space, a shoe rack room, a new entrance and linked hall, a toilet and changing area, an ablution room and more.

External works included the removal of paintwork to showcase the building’s brickwork and six new narrow arched windows running the full height of the main body of the mosque.

There was one public objection to the plan raising concerns over parking issues, with similar concerns raised by Northumbria Police referencing the “availability of parking to serve the extended building”.

The council’s highways department also raised concerns about the enlarged internal floorspace and potential increased parking demand along Chester Road and surrounding residential streets “to the detriment of highway safety”.

A council planning report said that following discussions with the applicant, it was confirmed that the works were “not designed to increase patronage of the mosque” and instead, aimed to “improve the facilities within it”.

Council planners noted the prayer and worshipping area was “not being notably extended” and said that “suitable mitigation controls” could be achieved by using planning conditions, such as a transport management plan covering car-sharing, public transport, walking and cycling.

Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved the application for the Chester Road mosque on October 23.

Officers said the plan aimed to “enhance the existing community use through the creation of new and extended facilities for the worshippers” and would improve the appearance and design of the building and stressed highways safety and parking concerns could be “appropriately mitigated” through planning conditions.

For more information, visit the council’s planning portal website and search for reference 26/00390/FUL.