Latest news with #MonmouthshireMuslimCommunityAssociation
South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Abergavenny library mosque proposal decision date named
A decision to grant a 30-year lease on the former Abergavenny library was approved in May before being put on hold pending review by a council scrutiny committee, which met last week, and said the decision had to go back to the cabinet within 10 working days. Just days before the scrutiny committee took place the words 'No Masjid' and crosses were spray painted on to the grade II listed building with police investigating the criminal damage as a hate crime. Masjid is Arabic for place of worship or mosque. Monmouthshire council's Labour-led cabinet will now consider the arguments made at the place scrutiny committee when it meets for its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25 and must decide whether to stand by its original decision or reconsider it. The scrutiny committee heard from Abergavenny mayor Philip Bowyer and town council colleague Gareth Wild, a Baptist minister, who both spoke in favour of the cabinet's decision to grant the lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. READ MORE: Banner of support draped over Abergavenny mosque graffiti Four public speakers, including Sarah Chicken the warden of the alms houses next door to the former library, a resident, and Andrew Powell landlord of the nearby Groefield pub objected to the decision, citing reasons such as parking and potential for noise as to why a mosque and community centre would be unsuitable. Cabinet member Ben Callard, who lives near the proposed mosque and represents the area on the town council though he is the county councillor for Llanfoist and Govilon, explained no planning permission is required. Community centres and places of worship fall under the same planning use as a library. But he said the community association had promised to hold a public consultation on its plans, but that was criticised by councillors who called the decision in for review, as it was 'consultation after the decision'. The review was instigated by Conservative councillors Rachel Buckler and Louise Brown, who represent Devauden and Shirenewton, and Llanelly Hill independent Simon Howarth who questioned how the decision was made. They faced criticism as Abergavenny councillors and the town council backed the original decision. The former Abergavenny Library. The three questioned the council's process and complained there had been no scrutiny of the decision. Cllr Callard said the community association's bid was the highest scoring tender, and the £6,000 a year rent similar to one of the other bids, and rejected the idea it would be practical for the council to operate as a landlord if every lease had to go through a full scrutiny process. Cllr Callard also said if councillors disagreed with it offering the building for new uses, as it was no longer used as a pupil referral unit with the library having transferred to the town hall in 2015, the decision made last November to declare it 'surplus to requirements' should have been called in for review. The cabinet will consider the scrutiny committee's suggestions a re-tender should be run with specifications including an independent valuation, a survey of the building, consideration of the building's history and importance, a public consultation and the possibility of selling the building. It meets at County Hall in Usk at 4.30pm.
South Wales Argus
13-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Vandalised ex library in Abergavenny won't yet become mosque
The disused grade II listed Carnegie Library, in Abergavenny, was set to be brought back into use by the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association as a community centre and the county's first mosque. Though Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet had agreed it would offer the association a 30-year lease on the building that was last used as a pupil referral unit that decision will now have to go back to the cabinet which has 10 working days to meet and reconsider. A council committee meeting, called after three opposition councillors objected, could have accepted the decision but in a tied vote agreed to refer it back to the cabinet on the casting vote of scrutiny chair Jane Lucas. Some 48 hours before Wednesday's pre-arranged meeting the building, on the edge of the town centre, was vandalised with the words 'No Masjid' sprayed on one of its walls and crosses beside the doors along with the word 'no'. Masjid is Arabic for place of worship or mosque. The committee cited nine reasons, following its three hour meeting which included more than 30 minutes in a confidential session due to discussion around finances, why the cabinet should reconsider the decision. A photograph showing the anti-Muslim vandalism of the former Abergavenny Library. During the meeting the Labour cabinet member for finance, Cllr Ben Callard, who lives near the proposed mosque, defended how the former library had been declared as surplus to the council's requirements, last November, at a cabinet meeting and then the decision to grant the lease was also taken to the cabinet. If councillors disagreed with disposal of the building the November decision should have been called in, said Cllr Callard. He said taking the decisions in public had given them 'oxygen' but disputed all leases could be subject to full public consultation. The Llanfoist and Govilon councillor said: 'I don't see how we can as a landlord enter leases if we have to bring them to a scrutiny committee.' Cllr Callard since 2022 the council has entered 37 leases, with the figure rising to 63 when also considering short term arrangements and licences, and said: 'For no others was there a demand to review them or for prior scrutiny or to use the call in process.' Abergavenny Town of Sanctuary organised a show of support for the proposed mosque outside the Monmouthshire council chamber with some town councillors including Mayor Philip Bowyer and some members of the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. He also defended the terms of the lease, agreed in principle at a £6,000 a year rent, and said it was on a 'full repair basis' and said: 'That doesn't make it very attractive to businesses. It's a huge commitment to take on a building of that age.' Councillors had questioned the value of the lease as an earlier council document stated an ambition of raising a rental income of £25,000 to £30,000 a year from the former library. The council's landlord services manager, Nick Keys, said leases of 25, 30 and 99 years are common for the council to grant, with long term security often required by grant funding bodies such as the National Lottery, and the 30 year lease was requested. Mr Keys added the council also has clauses such as rent reviews. Final terms of the lease were still to be agreed. Conservative member for Shirenewton Louise Brown, one of the three councillors who called the decision in, questioned why the invitation to tender hadn't specified the building could be used for commercial purposes under its restrictive covenant. The former Abergavenny Library. Llanelly Hill independent Simon Howarth said members weren't aware of decisions related to the library as they hadn't been added to the council's forward work planner. Devauden Conservative Rachel Buckler described the library building as one of Abergavenny's 'most important civic buildings.' The committee said the cabinet should consider a re-tender with specifications including an independent valuation, a survey of the building, consideration of the building's history and importance, a public consultation and the possibility of selling the building. The library service was relocated to the Town Hall in 2015.
South Wales Argus
09-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Abergavenny mosque plan could be put on hold at meeting
Monmouthshire council's ruling cabinet agreed in May to grant a 30-year lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association who plan to use the vacant building as a mosque and cultural centre. It would be the county's first mosque. However three councillors have 'called in' the decision meaning it will be reviewed at a special meeting of the council's place scrutiny committee. The nine member, cross party committee, will have to decide whether to accept the cabinet's original decision to grant the lease or if they agree there were flaws in the decision making process they can ask the cabinet to look at the decision again. The committee also has the power to refer the decision to the full council, which would then have to look at how the decision was made and decide whether to accept it or send it back to the cabinet to reconsider. If the cabinet does have to take the decision again it must do so within ten working days and will be asked to consider the comments made but can stick by its original decision, amend it or overturn it. Conservative councillors Louise Brown and Rachel Buckler, who represent Shirenewton and Devauden in the south of Monmouthshire, and Llanelly Hill independent Simon Howarth called the decision, made by the Labour-led cabinet, in for review. Their request highlights three grounds for doing so which are a claimed 'lack of proper scrutiny/due process and community consultation', how the building was marketed and their concerns over 'best value' at the £6,000 a year lease. When the cabinet agreed to grant the lease it was stated the accepted bid was the highest scoring on the application process that was intended to explore opportunities to maximise social benefit and generate a financial return from an otherwise empty building. The cabinet was also told 30-year leases were common and the cabinet had declared the building, that was last used as a pupil referral unit, as surplus in November when it granted the council's landlord services permission to market the building as available to lease. It was built by Scottish American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, though it closed as a library in 2015 when the service transferred to the town hall. Councillors were also told commercial uses, which could be allowed under the restrictions of the building's covenant, had been considered and the agreed rent was said to be in the context of 'significant investment' required, from the lease holders, in the 120-year-old grade II listed building. The call in also states 'community engagement is required' as no planning permission is needed as there is no change in the use class of the building. The special meeting will take place, at Monmouthshire County Hall in Usk, on Wednesday, June 11 at 5.30pm.
South Wales Argus
28-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Laura Anne Jones MS questions library change into mosque
The Labour-led Monmouthshire County Council awarded the lease of the iconic building to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. Conservative Senedd Member for South Wales East, Laura Anne Jones, has raised concerns about how the decision was reached. Ms Jones emphasised she has no objection to the Muslim community having an appropriate place to worship. However, she suggested that the process under which the decision was made and its long-term implications pose potential problems. Ms Jones said: "It is absolutely right that members of all faiths, including the Muslim community, have somewhere appropriate to worship. "However, this historic library building is a treasured part of Abergavenny's civic heritage and I believe it would have been far more appropriate to create an all-faith space – a building where people of all faiths and none can come together to reflect, build relationships and learn about each other." She expressed concerns that this Carnegie library would be dedicated to only one group, possibly excluding others. She also raised questions about the absence of wider consultation before this significant community decision was made. She questioned why options such as shared or multi-faith use were not more thoroughly explored or consulted on. Ms Jones said: "People in Abergavenny care deeply about this building and its future. "They deserved to have their voices heard before a long-term decision like this was taken behind closed doors." The former Abergavenny Library shut in 2015, after which it was used as a base for the council's pupil referral unit for children unable to attend school. The unit has since moved to alternative premises. Last year, Monmouthshire County Council declared the grade-II listed building, which was built in 1905, surplus to requirements and considered leasing or selling it. A restrictive covenant on the contract prevents it from being used as a public house, restaurant or take-away, but does not prevent commercial or community use. The 30-year lease went to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association after it was the highest scoring applicant on the council's tender process. The group, which currently meets at the St Michael's Centre for Friday prayers, plans to use the former Abergavenny Library as Monmouthshire's first mosque and community centre. Currently, there is no mosque in Monmouthshire, despite there being a small Muslim population. Councillor Ben Callard, cabinet member responsible for buildings, told the cabinet that Abergavenny has the highest number of Muslims in Monmouthshire and that an Islamic place of worship would fill a significant gap in provision for the rapidly growing Muslim population in the region. He added that it would be beneficial in bringing the building back into "beneficial community use" supporting the "educational, social, economic and recreational value for Muslim residents of Monmouthshire and the wider community". The council said that no change of use planning application is required for the building as its intended use as a mosque falls under the same category as a library, but a Certificate of Lawfulness will be applied for to provide assurance. Despite her concerns, Ms Jones said: "It is absolutely right that members of all faiths, including the Muslim community, have somewhere appropriate to worship." She urges Monmouthshire's Labour-led council to clarify why the lease was awarded for such an extended duration, and why other options, such as multi-faith use, were not properly explored or consulted on.
