Islamic centre applies for a change of hours

Planning permission was granted for the Bexhill Masjid and Islamic Centre, in Clifford Road, in May 2010, with a condition restricting the hours of use for worship between 6am and 10pm.

However, on December 4 2017, this restriction was temporarily lifted until November 30 2018.

Now the centre is asking Rother District Council to remove the condition completely.

This will allow worshippers to participate in early morning prayer, which takes place at around 3am in the summer months, and night time prayer, around 10.45pm in the summer.

The centre says it expects to receive between five and eight people for the morning and night time prayers.

A handful of objections have been submitted to Rother, with residents claiming changing the hours would exacerbate parking problems in the area.

But others have said the temporary change has had little impact on parking in the area and said centre leaders were “considerate to their neighbours”.

The centre’s planning application says: “Those attending the centre have been advised to park away, share their transport and encouraged to walk.”

Rother’s planning committee will make a decision on the application at a later date.