A former church in Watford is set to be converted into a mosque after the borough council approved redevelopment plans, a decision that has generated both support and controversy within the local community.
Watford Borough Council’s Development Management Committee granted planning permission on Monday, 3 February, for the conversion of St Thomas’ United Reformed Church on Langley Road into a Muslim place of worship.
The church has been closed since 2015 and council documents describe the building as “not fit for purpose” due to serious structural defects.
Councillors voted in favour of the proposal after concluding that the wider community benefits outweighed concerns raised over parking and traffic.
An officers’ report published ahead of the meeting stated that the project met planning requirements and posed no unacceptable harm.
“The proposal will provide significant benefits in respect of the reuse of the existing building and occupation as a place of worship with community facilities, and no adverse harm is identified that would warrant refusal,” the report said.
“The development accords with the development plan overall.”
Speaking in support of the application, project lead for the proposed Masjid Al-Ummah mosque, Mr Numan Majeed, emphasised his local ties and the wider aims of the project.
“This proposal seeks to restore the tradition of a faith-led building serving the wider community,” Majeed told councillors. “We want this to be a place that benefits not just worshippers, but local residents as well.”
Plans include an extension and major refurbishment of the existing structure, alongside the development of a nursery, café and multi-purpose community spaces.
During public consultation, the council received 84 letters of support and 37 objections.
Those opposing the proposal cited concerns including parking pressure, potential noise and objections to the change from a Christian place of worship to a Muslim one.
However, councillors noted that religious objections are not relevant planning considerations, while parking concerns were addressed through a transport assessment submitted by the applicant.
According to the assessment, expected traffic levels would remain “well within the capacity of the surrounding network”, with prayer times deliberately staggered to avoid congestion.
With planning permission now granted, work on the site is expected to begin shortly, with the mosque scheduled to open later this summer.
St Thomas’ United Reformed Church is one of two former Watford churches recently considered for conversion into mosques. A separate proposal involving Leavesden Road Baptist Church was refused last week after planning officers concluded it would cause “substantial harm” to the significance of the listed building.
