Over 150 people crammed into Blackhall Mosque recently to hear plans for the upgrade of the building. Local residents were assured that mosque leaders will work with their neighbours to address their concerns but some believe the plans will bring more traffic misery to a quiet residential area.
Blackhall Mosque opened in September 2009 and has quickly grown to become the most popular mosque in the city. As well as being a place of worship, the former church is the base for over 200 students who regularly attend classes there and the Mosque also provides a variety of educational and social activities for groups, families, women and young people.
The popularity of the Mosque has brought problems for both Muslims who use the building and for their neighbours, however. For worshippers, the current layout of the building is inadequate to meet their needs while the local community has voiced concerns about traffic levels and inconsiderate parking around the Mosque.
Mosque leaders organised the public meeting to talk about their plans for the refurbishment of their building and to give local residents an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns over the proposals. Local councillors and Western MSP Colin Keir joined Muslim worshippers, students and local residents to participate in the discussion.
Architect Thom Pollock outlined plans for the upgrading of the building. He said: “The plan is not to provide for a greater number of people, simply to provide much better facilities and improve what is not the most beautiful building in the world. Hopefully, create a more fitting quality of building for the area”.
He said that a tower or minaret proposed for the building is not essential. “I’m not hell-bent on the tower – it’s a symbol. If there is a huge counter-feeling against the tower I would not be particularly bothered. We are not trying to create a pastiche mosque here – the building will be of the same bricks as it currently is and will fir in with the surrounding area”. Mr, Pollock stressed that extensions to the building would be minimal. Internal alterations would introduce another level within the existing building, allowing additional space for a womens’ balcony, classrooms and storage facilities. Better use of existing ground floor space would see improvements to lavatories and washing areas and the addition of a mortuary and a new kitchen. Improved security measures are also included in the proposals, along with lift access to the upper floor and improvements to entrances.
Muslim students gave testimony to the importance of the building in their own personal development. One young man explained: “We need the Mosque to develop if we are to develop as people and as students – not only as Muslims but as active members of our communities”
Following the presentations the meeting was thrown open to questions and discussion of the proposals. Concerns were raised over the likely increase in numbers using the refurbished building – with resultant increase in car parking problems – and the size of the new building. One woman asked whether costs associated with the upgrade would impact on funds for other local services, while another sought assurances that local residents will be kept informed about activities at the Mosque.
A local resident received the biggest round of applause of the evening when he said: “Car parking is having a major impact on our lives, seven days a week. As this place is so unfit for purpose, have you not considered moving to somewhere else more suitable? There must be many disused school buildings available. While we are delighted to see the church building being used, this is a residential area and most of the former congregation walked to the church. This is most definitely not a religious argument – the parking and traffic problems are affecting the way we live our lives”.
Imam Sohail Asfhaq (pictured below) said: “This building cost £550,000 to buy and we raised this money ourselves. It is our obligation and duty to raise funds for our place of worship and this would be the case with our refurbishment. We have been working hard to address parking issues and we will continue to work with the authorities and the local community to resolve problems. We have no plans to expand – we simply don’t have the capacity to do that – and what we want is to provide the best possible educational facilities for our existing students by making our building fit for pupose”.
Councillor Lesley Hinds, who chaired the meeting, summed up: “It’s clear that people recognise the work that goes on here, but legitimate questions have been asked and it’s about getting a balance. Traffic and parking issues are still a concern and need to be addressed, and questions have been raised over the outside appearance of the building – will it look out of place? Questions remain over the tower, and residents want clarification on the actual size of the new building and more information about the mortuary. It’s also clear that the local community would also like more information about the range of activities that take place in the Mosque”.
She concluded: “Communications is the key. This has been a genuinely listening meeting and it’s important to keep that dialogue going and continue to treat each others’ views with respect”.
The local EH4 Residents Group has since detailed their concerns in a letter to local politicians and officials. Mosque leaders are expected to respond later this month.
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I agree with Brian’s comments about the road safety problems that are, in my view, caused by the volume of cars that attend the mosque and park irresponsibly on nearby, narrow, streets. It is only a matter of time before we see a serious accident. There are a lot of young families living in the area whose quality of life is being adversely affected by the traffic problems in this area. It is hard to accept that increasing the size of the building will not increase numbers attending – even if that is the promise that is being made pre-planning. The local community needs transparency here and residents need to feel as if their views are being taken into account. At the moment this is certainly not the perception.
If the mosque were to appoint a consultant who was more sympathetic to the views of the local community and prepared to engage in proper consultation then I think solutions suitable to “both sides” would be found.
I think Samuel has hit the ‘nail’ on the head. The lack of transparency by the ‘consultant’ brings no credit to the mosque. Its almost as if he were going through the motions and this was a ‘done deal’ with the Council. Clearly residents concerns are being ignored but who is ‘directing’ the consultant? Or am I wrong, is he just an amateur and failing to communicate in a professional manner? Which ever it is his actions have prevented any reasonable dialogue unless of course the mosque have nothing more to add and are refusing any dialogue in the certain knowledge their Plans will go ahead with the Council’s rubber stamp of approval? We need a proper evaluation of the traffic issues and we need a professional survey to determine if a Community Centre at Blackhall Mosque is required by what the mosque consultant refers to as ‘the wider community’. The traffic evaluation needs to consider the impact a mortuary and a school will have on our residential streets, the quality of our lives to include the safety of ALL our residents. We have elections in May and we can all vote and support candidates who have an open mind and not the councillor who belittled residents in the Evening News recently by insinuating there were only about six protesting this development.
I think the article reads very well and is factual. Well done the Journalist.
This is really all ‘spin’ and not balanced. I spoke to the consultant with a witness present. We were worried about the impact that the internal extension of the building would have from the traffic and safety point of view as parking currently is a serious issue for residents. This is already a very popular mosque attracting worshippers as well as school aged children and with the addition of a community centre and I quote ” for the wider community” we felt the impact could be considerably greater than it is at this time. Details were vague but we were told by this consultant that residents in Ravelston and Blackhall needed a community centre. I have tried to find evidence for this statement without success. I feel very sad that the Imam who has been at the centre of this success must now feel powerless to influence the behaviours of mosque attendees in their relationship with residents to the point where road safety is a significant risk to children and elderly pedestrians in particular.
I attended the meeting and the quotes attributed to Ashfaq, Pollock & Hinds are not what I recall as being said. If this reporter has a dictaphone or shorthand record of the meeting I would like it to be disclosed.
If you are a reporter and you put things in quotes, they better be what was actually said, rather than putting it into your own words.
I attended this meeting and the architect was not clear about the alterations and I understood clarification would be made – I’m still waiting? The main issue is road safety and despite assurances there would seem to be no solution. This is about respect for the people who live here 365 days a year: residents vehicles being blocked in driveways, illegal parking on pavements both sides of the roadway and causing obstruction for vehicles transiting Drylaw Crescent and its not just a Friday. But I would like to thank you for reporting the meeting, your story certainly debunks the recent Evening News Story. I’m aware the mosque has tried to solve the behaviours of its attendees using cars- they must do more. I saw a young Muslim lady with two young children almost reversed into by another mosque attendee driving without due care and attention – this is an accident waiting to happen – oh yes what about the proposed community centre?