Call for enforcement action against terror plot-linked Tablighi Jamaat over Olympic mega-mosque site

Newham Council "has allowed Islamic sect to use site unlawfully for three years"
A call has been made for Newham Council in east London to take enforcement action against Tablighi Jamaat, the neo-fundamentalist Islamic sect closely linked to a number of the men convicted yesterday in the Atlantic airline terror plot.

The sect plans to build a 12,000 capacity mega-mosque on a 18 acre site that it owns at West Ham, half a mile from the 2012 London Olympic stadium.

Cllr Alan Craig, Leader of the Opposition on Newham Council who has been leading the campaign against the mosque, is calling for the executive Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, to take enforcement action against Tablighi Jamaat who have been using the site unlawfully since October 2006.

"For three long years Newham Council have allowed Tablighi Jamaat to use the site without any planning permission at all," said Cllr Craig who leads the Christian Peoples Alliance group on the Council. "Why should this narrow separatist sect be allowed to flout the law like this, when the Council claims it promotes an active law and order agenda especially over anti-social behaviour, street safety and all other areas of borough life?"

According to reports, the airline plot bombers based in Walthamstow, including Abdullah Ahmed Ali who was born in Newham, attended Tablighi Jamaat gatherings at the West Ham site.

"This looks like unacceptable partiality by the Labour-run council towards this hostile and irresponsible group," continued Alan Craig. "This is unacceptable, especially in the light of Tablighi Jamaat's clear links to other unlawful activities like Islamic terrorism."

Cllr Craig has submitted a Question to the Mayor about enforcement at the site for next Monday's Newham Council meeting, the full text of which is below.

Text of Cllr Craig's Question to Newham's executive Mayor:

Enforcement at Abbey Mills mosque site
It is now almost three years since the temporary planning permission at Abbey Mills mosque site ran out, yet it continues to be used unlawfully on a daily basis.

Will the Mayor now take enforcement action in order to demonstrate that the Council expects all organisations and residents in the borough to act within and respect the law?

Written response from Councillor Conor McAuley
The temporary 5 year consent for use of the site as a Mosque expired in November 2006. The main objective of the accompanying Memorandum of Agreement seeking to deliver a Masterplan application for the site within the lifetime of this temporary consent was not achieved.

The Trust maintained that the delays were largely due to funding problems coupled with a number of sweeping changes in their consultant team tasked with preparing the proposals.

Officers have sought to persuade the Trust to progress the Masterplan but to no avail and consequently my officers wrote to the Trust on the 20th July 2009, advising them that unless the Masterplan proposals are submitted by January 2010, the Council will consider enforcement proceedings to secure cessation of the current unauthorised use of the site.

The Trust also formally engaged with us, the LTGDC and ODA under our planning pre-application process in May 2009, to explore the possibility for applying for a new temporary planning consent for the existing use. All 3 Authorities have formally advised that any new application would unlikely to be successful because of conflict with longer term regeneration objectives.