No legal challenge to mosque decision
Twm Owen, local democracy reporter
A threatened legal challenge to a decision to allow a former library to be used as a mosque won’t be going ahead.
A pre-action letter, on behalf of three county councillors and one individual, was sent to Monmouthshire County Council in September warning they intended seeking a judicial review of the decision to lease the disused 120-year-old grade II-listed building to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association who intend using it as a community centre and mosque.
Conservative councillors Louise Brown and Rachel Buckler along with independent Simon Howarth had previously failed to overturn the decision using the council’s procedure for calling in and reviewing cabinet decisions.
Christian Concern
Advocacy body Christian Concern and its Christian Legal Centre arm said it was supporting the three, and resident John Hardwick, in their intention to seek a judicial review of the decision.
It said it would do so unless the council withdrew the 30-year lease offer and started what it called, “a new, transparent tender process” and set the authority a September 19 deadline to respond before it would begin any legal proceedings.
Monmouthshire County Council has said it has since received confirmation the judicial review won’t be progressed.
It is understood a decision to discontinue the challenge was taken following receipt of the council’s response to the initial deadline.
A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said it had previously confirmed receipt of the pre-action protocol letter and it would respond “accordingly”.
Challenge
The spokesman said: “The council can now confirm that it has received confirmation that there will be no judicial review.
“The council has absolute confidence in its decision-making and governance arrangements. Any attempt to frustrate the democratically agreed position of the council will be met with an appropriate challenge. That said, there will be no comment on any new or additional legal matters until they are concluded.”
Monmouthshire’s Labour-led cabinet agreed in May to lease the building, it had deemed surplus to requirements the previous November, to the Muslim Community Association who currently met at the Abergavenny Catholic Church parish hall.
The library, built for £4,000 and funded by the Carnegie Foundation established by Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, closed in 2015 when the service transferred to the town hall and was last used as a pupil referral unit for children unable to attend mainstream school.
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Good decision. Praise be to Allah.
That’s the start of the demise of Abergavenny.
People like you a beyond parody. Absolutely pathetic thing to say
Abergavenny started going down hill when they started allowing your type in to our community. No place for your hatred in Wales so please show some respect for our country.
And what exactly is “your type”
Why?
Then why don’t you move to a place of your liking, Viktor Orbans Hungary.
I’m not saying all Hungarians are bad people as there are very many of them who want to see the back of Orban.
That’s ridiculous. I grew up.in Aber and proud to see this decision has been taken.
What a lovely building. Great choice for a mosque.
Why are Christian groups trying to suppress another faith’s right to worship.
Surely they are all for freedom of religion. Freedom of worship is like human rights.
They are for ALL, equally, or they are for NONE.