A petition with 3,000 signatures has been handed over to council bosses as residents stepped up their protest against an “illegal” mosque.
Business owners on Waterloo Road, South Shore, believe the Noor A Madina Mosque is operating illegally as it was opened before planning permission was granted. Owners of the site, which was formerly a takeaway, have since applied for retrospective planning permission to change the use of the site. But local people think the mosque will cause huge problems with parking around the area.
Mike Rowe, landlord of the Waterloo pub, handed the petition in to Blackpool Town Hall yesterday. He said: “Local people feel very strongly about the mosque. We believe it is operating illegally and would like to see it closed down. There are also huge concerns about parking, it’s very busy already and we think the extra traffic will affect health and safety. Waterloo Road is a commercial area so it should be commercial properties which are being developed there.”