New and improved Jalalia Jaame Mosque planned for Rochdale as plans for Trafalgar Street unveiled
A new and improved Mosque could soon be built in the heart of Rochdale as part of a ‘legacy project’ for the community.
The Jalalia Jaame Mosque has been earmarked for a proposed extension and remodelling. The Trafalgar Street site has grown in size and popularity since it was built back in the 1970s, now the mosque wants to transform to better suit the needs of the area.
A first floor extension; a lift and two stairways; improved common area facilities; and a small addition to the main prayer space are all proposed inside the building.
It will look vastly different from the outside, with the current dome and minaret being removed and replaced with a more modern design and new minaret.
The car park will also be redesigned to allow for better manoeuvring of vehicles, meaning the number of available spaces will drop from 68 to 62. But bicycle spaces will be included and an arrangement with the nearby grocers to use their 25-space car park for overspill has been arranged, according to planning documents.
Detailing the eco-friendly aspects of the project, planning papers read: “The extension provides the opportunity to increase the overall energy efficiency of the building. The new-built portions will incorporate higher levels of thermal insulation in the building fabric.
“In addition, solar panels to the ‘southern’ roof could potentially provide 15KW of energy.
“In order to minimise water usage it is proposed to incorporate a 7500 litre below ground rainwater harvesting tank which could provide water for flushing of the WCs.”