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Dudley mosque: Saga to continue as council leaders reject £325k settlement

The long-running saga over Dudley's new mosque will rumble on after a cash deal was unanimously thrown out by council bosses last night.

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Dudley Muslim Association (DMA) had made a £325,000 offer to bring an end to the dispute over plans for a replacement mosque.

But the council's cabinet rejected the out-of-court settlement and the two sides will return to court in October.

Dudley Central Mosque decision at Dudley Council House

It was also resolved to try to form an action group of councillors and the mosque's leadership to look at sites other than that proposed off Hall Street.

But the scheme was last night met with scepticism by DMA representatives who pledged to carry on the fight in the courts.

A small group gathered outside Dudley Council House ahead of the cabinet meeting to protest against the recommendation to reject the cash offer.

Dr Arbab Nazir, speaking on behalf of the DMA, said: "This was an historic opportunity to solve this issue once and for all.

Council Leader Peter Lowe
Public gallery, front left to right: Councillor Zafar Islam and Ahmed Saboor, back from left to right: M.Ammar Khan and Imam Hamid Hashmi.

"It was a key step which could have been taken to improve community and interfaith and race relations in Dudley.

"That opportunity has been missed out on.

"The mosque community did all it could to resolve this issue amicably. I do not think it could have done any more.

"We are fully resolved in taking this matter to the courts and to fight it there."

Imam Hamid Hashmi from Dudley Central Mosque

Council Leader Pete Lowe said he hoped the DMA would have a change of heart and work with councillors to find an alternative site.

"It is worth noting this was a fairly historic outcome," he said.

"It was the first time that on record all parties had said there is a requirement for a replacement Mosque in Dudley.

From left to right: M. Ammar Khan, Imam Hamid Hashmi and Ahmed Saboor from Dudley Central Mosque

"All we can say as a council is that from this moment our door is absolutely wide open for the establishment of an action group with representatives from all parties to exhaustively look at all the options for a replacement mosque and we can do no more than that.

"I am sure the DMA is feeling a lot of pain right now but on reflection I hope they see the positive steps we are trying to take to resolve the long-running situation." The DMA's cash offer was previously considered over two days by a scrutiny panel made up of cross-party councillors in July.

Its report to the council's cabinet acknowledged the need to replace the existing mosque in Castle Hill, which is not fit for purpose, but said the site in Hall Street is not suitable for the development.

As well as recommending the cabinet reject the offer, the scrutiny panel proposed the creation of the action group and for it to be made up of councillors from all parties and representatives of the mosque's leadership.

But the action group has been branded a 'farce' by stalwart Labour councillor Shaukat Ali and again came under fire last night.

Mr M. Ammar Khan, Treasurer at Dudley Central Mosque, said: "The action group proposal is no different to steps which have been taken in the last two to three years. What they are suggesting this time round, we already did that. The council's professional people looked into this and they came out with no other option, saying no other site could be used for the mosque.

"It has already been thoroughly discussed and considered."

Speaking during the cabinet's discussions, which lasted less than 30 minutes, UKIP group leader, councillor Paul Brothwood, said he had concerns about the DMA's approach to resolving the issue.

"The UKIP group fully support the recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny board," he said. "However we are concerned regarding the action group. While the idea is to bring the DMA together with us they are trying to say they have not been included in the whole process. It shows their continued hostile approach. They should open themselves up and instead of taking a hostile approach come and work with us on the action group."

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the Conservative group, said his party also supported rejecting the DMA's offer.

The council and the DMA will now meet in the High Court in October after the DMA previously appealed a decision which would allow the council to buy back the land.

If the settlement offer from the DMA had been accepted, the group would have retained ownership of the site and the council would have ended its bid to invoke its buy-back clause.

Plans to build the mosque have polarised opinion in Dudley.

Three far-right groups have already marched in the town just this year, with another protest expected to take place in September.

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