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Media Releases
Agreement on New Mosque
19/05/2009
Press Release
An Agreement for Lease was today entered into by the Council and the Trustees of the Jamme Masjid in relation to the building of a new mosque.
The new multi-million pound mosque will be built on land provided by Reading Borough Council on the corner of Wokingham Road and Green Road, close to the Thames Valley University campus. Detailed planning consent was granted in October 2007.
The Agreement for Lease will see the grant of a 125 year lease on the property and the new mosque will be paid for by monies raised by the Trustees and the Muslim community itself, and by donors.
Facilities will include a prayer house, washing facilities, smaller prayer houses, a library, a conference room, classrooms for male and female students, a meeting centre for older people and parking.
When complete the building - classical in design with a silver dome in the centre - will provide a social as well as religious focus for the Muslim community across Reading. It will replace the Alexandra Road mosque, which has inadequate parking facilities.
The Agreement for Lease is the culmination of lengthy negotiations between the Trustees of the Jamme Masjid and the Borough Council.
Reading Borough Council Leader Jo Lovelock said: "I am pleased that all the issues regarding this lease have now been agreed and the Muslim community can now begin to raise money for the mosque. I very much hope that will be successful and we can see the new building being built as soon as possible. Reading has a large number of Muslim residents and it is only right that they have the opportunity to provide facilities which meet their religious and community needs."
Mian Saleem, Chair of Pakistan Community Centre (PCC), said: "This is great news for all of Reading's Muslim community . Everyone is very pleased on the fulfilment of this long standing promise on Green Road Mosque. We are thankful to Reading Borough Council and the management committees of South Street Mosque and Alexandra Road Mosque."
Negotiations between the Trustees and Reading Borough Council have been on-going since the announcement in October 2006 of the establishment of a new and more inclusive body of trustees for the new mosque, overseeing the bringing together of Alexandra Road and South Street Mosque.
The Agreement for Lease also confirms the Alexandra Road property will be returned to residential use to provide much needed housing in the area, and outlined the arrangements for the division of the proceeds of sale of the Alexandra Road property.
ENDS
Oscar Mortali
Tel: 0118 939 0301
http://www.reading.gov.uk/latest/mediar ... 2-A7840DD2