A planning application for the construction of a new place of worship for the Islamic community in the Luqa industrial estate has drawn the ire of the local council.

The application was filed in January and is proposing the demolition of two huts that exist on the largely vacant plot and excavation to build a new place of worship with ancillary facilities, including bathrooms, meeting rooms administrative offices and parking at basement level.

This development shows a lack of respect for the community of Luqa and Ħal Farruġ- Luqa council

The site spans a total of 2,152 square metres, with the bulk of the development constructed over two floors, the highest point of the proposed minaret reaching 15 metres.

According to the Planning Authority’s case officer, the application has the necessary clearance and has been recommended for approval.

However, the application is meeting resistance from the Luqa local council, who are urging the Planning Authority to reject the application.

In a statement on Friday, the council said the approval of this application would cause residents to suffer “extreme air pollution” due to the expected increase in traffic. This would also have an impact on the surrounding businesses in the industrial area, they said.

“As we already said in official correspondence with the PA in February, this development shows a lack of respect for the community of Luqa and Ħal Farruġ.”

A drawing of the proposed building by architect David Ellul Mercer.

The council also questioned why Transport Malta had changed its stance on the project after initially objecting to it.

The transport regulator had expressed concern about the height of the project due to its proximity to the airport as well as the proposed use of gold cladding on the dome and its potential for creating a solar glare that could interfere with aircrew operations.

However, following the submission of new plans by the architect, Transport Malta said it found no objection to the project, provided that the overall height did not exceed 15 metres.

'Mosque should be in the north'

The council said the PA should consider such a development be proposed in the northern region of the country to accommodate the community that lives there.

It said the south of Malta already accommodates such a place of worship and the residents of these parts are already well served.

“The council also proposes that land fit for development in the Ħal Farruġ industrial estate be given to small businesses that do not have adequate places to operate from.

“We are determined to voice the concerns of our citizens that cannot stand for any further development in this area,” the council added.

The case is set to be decided by the planning board in November.

Despite an increase in the practice of the Muslim faith in Malta over the years, religious communities have been met with obstacles when attempting to secure permission for additional places of worship.

In 2018, Malta Muslim Council volunteer Bader Zina told Times of Malta that, though the community did not expect the government to provide it with prayer spaces, for 18 years, attempts to obtain planning permission in centrally located sites have been unsuccessful.

In 2015, after a group of worshippers were evicted from a garage in Msida, a planning application to convert a large garage in Santa Venera into a prayer space was turned down by the PA despite a favourable recommendation by the case officer.

Following this, members of the Muslim community began praying on the Msida seafront, which led to public outrage.

The government then offered them the temporary use of the Ospizio, in Floriana, as a prayer space until a permanent solution was found.

It is understood that this space is no longer in use.

In 2016, after objections rose for the conversion of a garage into a prayer space in St Paul’s Bay, St Albert the Great college had offered school facilities to the Muslim community to hold prayers in.