A local authority is facing legal action by three Christian councillors after it approved the use of a former Abergavenny library as a mosque, allegedly without proper scrutiny.
Monmouthshire County Council agreed to grant a 30-year lease of the former Carnegie library to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association (MMCA) for use as a mosque and Islamic centre earlier this year.
In its proposal last December, the MMCA cited “the rapidly growing Muslim population in Monmouthshire” and stated that “mosques play a fundamental role in British society”.
The councillors and a local resident have sent a pre-action letter to the council threatening judicial review of its decision. They accuse the council of lack of transparency and scrutiny and breaching the requirements of the Local Government Act 1972. Their concerns include religious impartiality and increased traffic and noise levels.
Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting the councillors, said: “This case raises serious questions about transparency, fairness, and the proper use of public assets. The people of Abergavenny deserve to be heard, and their concerns must not be brushed aside. We will stand with these councillors as they urge the council to be democratically accountable and to abide by the rule of law.”
