Historic sports club to become mosque

Aug 29 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Historic sports club to become mosque

CONTROVERSIAL plans to turn an historic sports club site into a mosque have been given the green light by councillors.

Hundreds of people objected to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association’s plan to transform The Pavilion at Fartown into a mosque and community centre.

But yesterday, members of Huddersfield’s planning sub-committee granted permission, agreeing that the association’s plans would breathe new life into the site off Spaines Road and be of huge benefit to the community.

Munir Ahmed, president of the Huddersfield branch of the AMA, told the Examiner that he was thrilled with the decision.

He said: “We are delighted, particularly as it was a unanimous decision by the council and they understood exactly what we aim to achieve with the site.

“It will be a great asset, not only for our own members, but also for the wider community and we’re looking forward to creating something that will be so beneficial.

“Our plan is to restore The Pavilion to how it was and actively engage the community. Our aim is to also bring back the sports that were once enjoyed, including cricket.

“We will be starting work on it right away and we’ll be having a big celebration with the community when it’s up and running.”