Neighbour rows explode over £2.5m mosque on the edge of the Lake District

A row has exploded over a planned three-storey mosque in a historic town on the edge of the Lake District. Some residents are outraged by the £2.5 million project while others have defended it.

The South Lakes Islamic Centre is currently taking shape on the outskirts of Dalton-in-Furness. It is set to cater for around 50 Muslim medical staff who are based at a nearby hospital. The place of worship has been under construction since January after planning was approved in December 2022, despite 30 objections being raised.

Protests have recently been held outside the construction site of the controversial mosque. Opposing protestors waved Union Jack and Knights Templar Flags while supporters of the mosque held banners that read "stop the far right".

As reported by the Daily Mail, a chiropodist in Dalton has banned customers from discussing the mosque at her clinic. Sheila McLarnon, who has lived in the town for decades, has accused some local people of opposing the construction of the mosque due to racism.

The 77-year-old said: "I'm disappointed in the attitude of people round here and it comes down to racism. I'm a chiropodist.

"I've got a clinic here at the house and I won't let my patients say negative things about it because they'll come in and say, 'What about the bloody mosque then?'

"One man even said, 'Oh, it's just going to be a bomb-making factory'. That is the kind of thing they've decided is going to come to Dalton and it's obviously just nonsense.

"There are legitimate concerns about parking and access, but sadly this area is quite racist and I think that's the root of it."

According to The South Lakes Islamic Centre, the building will service Muslim families who currently make the 100-mile round trip to the nearest mosque in Lancaster. However, it has divided the local community.

A man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "People are falling out over this. There are neighbours who don't speak to each other anymore, because they've been called racist.

"These are people who have been friends for years. All falling out over a bloody mosque. I think it's daft. It's getting built and we all need to get on."

Local businessman Gary Peaker is among those that oppose the development. The 54-year-old claimed the "majority" of people in Dalton also disagree with the development.

He said: "Dalton is a tiny little town with an even smaller contingent of people who would actually go there. Yet this mosque is three storeys - it's huge. It's an absolute eyesore.

"I feel sorry for the people who have their houses nearby because it's going to wipe thousands off the value of those houses. There are plenty of buildings in Barrow that could have been repurposed, rather than building it here.

"People here feel that they've been excluded from the planning process. They want to see the building work stop and the planning application fully reviewed."

One resident said those involved in the far-right protests were not local. He said they were composed of "people bussed in from outside".

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "Normal Muslims are the same as normal Christians. They are peaceful people who put their families first and are law-abiding.

"I feel sorry for the neighbouring houses because, sadly, I don't think this an issue that will go away.

"It can't be nice living there in relatively expensive houses and having trouble on your doorstep. They're the people I feel sorry for."

Mandy Penellum, secretary of Barrow's Trades Council, added: "There is a narrative here that's been perpetuated - that the Islamic Centre's not welcome - and that's not everybody's view by any stretch of the imagination."

She added that the area is a "tolerant" and "welcoming" community, with staff from "all over the world" working at Furness General Hospital nearby.

She continued: "The centre is also going to be an asset for community use and I think it's really important that people understand that and acknowledge the fact that we're all human beings, we all have a right and a space to pray."