Preston mosque up for approval next week
The subject of an international design competition, the more than 16,000 sq ft mosque on land south of D’Urton Lane is returning to the planning committee on 3 February.
Cassidy + Ashton Group worked with an undisclosed charity on the mosque, which has been designed by London-based architects Luca Poian Forms. The firm was the winner of a Royal Institute of British Architects competition for the mosque, beating more than 200 entries from 40 different countries.
The outline application for the mosque had first gone before the committee in July but had been deferred due to lack of details on its design – at the time of the committee, the design competition had yet to unveil its winner. The scheme had proven controversial, with more than 400 letters of objection and more than 650 letters of support.
The application includes plans for 150 car parking spaces, including 12 disability spaces. Access to the site would be from D’Urton Lane, with a T-junction being formed to provide pedestrian access on either side of the road. One could also walk to the site from a footpath on James Towers Way.
The mosque would be oval-shaped and stretch out across three storeys. Its minaret would be 30 metres tall.
A single-storey service building would sit nearby and would act as a security office and reception area.
Planning officers recommend the approval of the scheme subject to a section 106 agreement that secures the management of car parking and parking restrictions. Should an agreement not be met by 9 February, planning officers recommend the application be refused.
Want to learn more about the scheme? The application’s reference number with Preston City Council is 06/2021/0431.
The winning design for the Preston mosque from Luca Poian Forms. Credit: Luca Poian Forms via RIBA
Great design, but personally against any new places of worship being built anywhere
By Steve
People of Preston wake up. This is not an award winning design, It looks like an Octopus with dodgy cladding.
By Barry Gibson
Eeek as always i never felt the need to stop when passing Preston and will continue to do so.
By Anonymous
There will be lovely congestion on Fridays around there if this gets approved.
By Anonymous
Beautiful!
By Pez
Looks like a giant crematorium. Hideous, especially as it is at the main gateway to the city. Yet another patch of green space lost.
By J Smith
A very modern design and something of a departure for Mosque rendering, will suit it’s position just fine.
By Pilgrim
I think this is a very good design. Modern but organic at the same time.
I’d hardly call that piece of land a great piece of ‘greenspace’ – it’s between a number of roads too. A natural place for a landmark building.
By SW
If you are ever in Kuala Lumpur, try and visit the Museum of Islamic Art.
It has many great model displays of great Mosques and buildings around the world, plus cultural and social displays.
I wonder if this one will be included? Looks like it deserves to be and would certainly be contrast with some of the older ones in the Sahara region of North Africa.
By Peace & Blessings