The bitter battle over Dudley’s £18 million mosque will go all the way to the High Court, it has been revealed.

Dudley Council is challenging the planning inspector’s move to allow the scheme, after a volatile public meeting in July.

Councillors believe their decision to reject the mosque should never have been overturned and the case will now be heard in London.

Council leader Councillor David Caunt confirmed the authority had registered an application with the High Court, challenging the legality of the inspector’s decision and was now awaiting a court date.

He added the case would be heard “before the end of the year – which of course is crucial for us”.

Under the terms of a deal agreed when the site in Hall Street was transferred to Dudley Muslim Association, the mosque scheme, featuring a 65-foot minaret, will be scuppered unless it is “substantially” built by the end of the year.

While the Muslim group is lobbying members to extend the deadline, Councillor Caunt said it was probable the authority would enforce the cut-off if its High Court action is successful.

He added the council was confident judges would uphold their initial decision to throw out the mosque plan because the proposed site was earmarked for employment use.

But DMA representative Mushtaq Hussain vowed to fight on.

He said: “We are obviously very disappointed with the decision of the council to go to the High Court and we will be seeking legal advice.”

Councillor Malcolm Davis, who gathered more than 20,000 signatures to a petition against the mosque when it first went before the council, said he was “delighted” the council was sticking to its guns.

“There will be a lot of people relieved to hear about this,” he said.