Neighbours of the old headquarters of Job’s Dairy have expressed concerns over plans to convert the building into a mosque.
Residents were tonight due to argue at a Hounslow Council west area committee meeting against the Ahmadiyyah Muslim Association’s proposals to transform the vacant Asi House, in Raleigh Way, Feltham, into a religious meeting place.
Petitioners have gained 159 signatures opposing the project, and 75 people also objected following a consultation in November last year.
The Musilim group said it would use the centre for “training, recreation and quiet prayer and reading”, but critics said they were worried about noise, overcrowding and inadequate parking.
Anthony Chapman said: “With only limited parking space and very poor public transport links it is inevitable that cars will be the main means of visiting the centre.
“The residents also strongly believe that their roads will take the cars that cannot park at the centre and on special religious days they will be severely inconvenienced.
“It will be sad to see this quiet corner of Hanworth become a battleground over parking and road access because an inappropriate use of an old office building is granted.”
The Muslim Association has applied to open the mosque every day between 8am and 9pm, and would provide 20 on-site parking spaces.
Council officers are tonight expected to recommend the committee grant planning permission because they concluded it “would provide enhanced facilities for the local Muslim community” and “the development would not significantly affect traffic and parking conditions in the locality”.
Job's Dairy was founded in 1819 in Teddington by “cow keeper” William Porter, and moved to Hanworth in 1929.
The headquarters, which cost £26,000 to build, was officially opened by Lord Iveagh in 1931, and within three years was handling 5,000 gallons of milk a day.
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