County’s first ever mosque to open at former library building

Twm Owen Local Democracy Reporter

A former library building in a town that frequently tops Wales’ ‘most desirable places to live’ lists is to be given a new lease of life as the county’s first ever mosque. 

The former Abergavenny Library closed in 2015 and relocated to Abergavenny Town Hall with the building most recently used as a base for the council’s pupil referral unit for children unable to attend school before that  moved to alternative premises at Old Hereford Road. 

Monmouthshire County Council’s Labour-led cabinet has now agreed to grant a 30-year lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association who plan to use the grade-II listed building as Monmouthshire’s first mosque and community centre. 

The not-for-profit group currently meets at Abergavenny’s St Michael’s Centre using the building alongside other users and religious groups, with ongoing support from the trustees of the facility in Our Lady and St Michael’s parish.

“Beneficial community use”

Councillor Ben Callard, the cabinet member responsible for buildings, told the cabinet: “It is interesting to note Abergavenny has the highest number of Muslims in Monmouthshire but not a single mosque while Newport has eight.” 

Cllr Callard said a mosque will meet the “gap in current provision for the rapidly growing Muslim population in Monmouthshire, serving people of diverse racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds”. 

He also said it will bring 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 new use falls into the same category as the library so no change of use planning application is required but a Certificate of Lawfulness will be applied for to provide assurance. 

The cabinet had declared the former library, that was was built in 1905 at a cost of £4,000 funded by the Carnegie Foundation though the Scottish-Americanindustrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, surplus to requirements in November last year when it agreed to lease or sell it. 

A restrictive covenant reduces the number of potential uses, and prevents it from being used as a public house, restaurant or hot-food takeaway, but doesn’t prevent the property being used for commercial or community uses.

The lease was awarded to Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association which was the highest scoring applicant on the council’s tender process which was intended to explore opportunities to maximise social benefit and generate a financial return from what would otherwise be an empty building.

Scrutiny

Cllr Richard John, leader of the Conservative opposition questioned why a 30-year lease had been agreed, pointing out another community group only had a 12 month lease on a disused council building, and said the cabinet report noted a commercial use could lead to a greater financial return. 

Cllr John asked: “How has the decision been scrutinised it does not appear to have gone through any scrutiny committee?” 

Cllr Callard reminded Cllr John the building was declared surplus by the cabinet and it had granted its landlord services authority to market it and he also said while commercial opportunites had been considered they hadn’t scored as highly and there are limits on the use of the building which requires “significant investment” which will be the responsibility of the association. 

Deputy leader Paul Griffiths said 25 to 30 year leases are “quite normal” for such buildings and often required by grant awarding bodies. The association intends applying for funding for grants from bodies including the National Lottery Community Fund and Muslim Charitable Foundation. 

Cllr Callard, who represents Llanfoist and Govilon, said: “When I was growing up in Abergavenny I remember getting my first library card and getting my first library book there and I look forward to it serving the local community again.”