Appeal sent to planning body over proposed Islamic Cultural Centre in Letterkenny

An Bord Pleanála has been asked to adjudicate on the construction of an Islamic Cultural Centre in Letterkenny.

It comes after plans for the project, at Lisnennan, Letterkenny, were given planning permission by Donegal County Council.

Now, an appeal has been submitted to the planning body, who say that the case is due to be decided by the end of April, 2025.

Letterkenny Islamic Association CLG is seeking permission for the construction of the centre, which would include a ground floor, first floor mezzanine prayer hall areas, coffee dock and sandwich bar. This building would also include a foyer, offices, a meeting room, library-teaching room, toilets, a kitchenette and storage.

An auxiliary building is also planned to include a multipurpose recreational activity area.

The application has also provided for the construction of an access road, footpaths, car parking, bicycle rack and associated retaining site works. They have also provided for carrying out alterations to the public road layout to accommodate a traffic turn-off lane.

The application, which included consent from a landowner, Declan Reynolds, on a 2.6-acre site was given the go-ahead by Donegal County Council, subjected to 18 conditions, after the local authority sought further information on the application.

However, local residents Barry and Kathy O’Neill have submitted an appeal to An Bord Pleanála.

In a submission to the Council previously, they outlined how they were the owners and occupiers of a dwelling adjacent to the subject site.

“We have real concerns that as proposed, it will have a detrimental impact on us, our property and the wider planning and development of the area,” they wrote.

They argued that the proposed centre could be considered “over development” in that it comprises two separate buildings of significant scale and height. They said it will require significant levelling and excavation of the site in very close proximity to their boundary.

The O’Neills pointed to what they said would be significant additional traffic with up to 120 worshipers attending Friday lunchtime prayer and also queried the removal of trees from the site.

The Letterkenny Islamic Association said, as part of a document submitted by the architect on the project, that the “Muslim Community has long needed a purpose-built cultural centre that would accommodate the needs of the community”.

They said that this proposed centre would be for the “existing and growing future needs of the Muslim Community who are an integrated part of the Letterkenny community and beyond”.

They say that the building would be used for community meetings, social gatherings, parent and toddler groups, youth meetings, as well as sports groups.

The centre would open from 10am-10pm in summer and 10am-7pm in winter.

Letterkenny Islamic Association CLG is presently using a premises on High Road and has also rented places such as the Vestry Hall and Letterkenny Community Centre.

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It said: “The population of the Muslim community continues to grow and we are already struggling with numbers for some events held at the High Road location”