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South Wales Argus
2 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Monmouthshire mosque lease for former library confirmed
Monmouthshire County Council's cabinet agreed to grant a 30-year lease for the empty Abergavenny Library to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association in May but three backbench councillors forced a review using the council's call in process. Just two days before a scrutiny committee considered that request the grade II listed building, last used as a pupil referral unit after the library closed and transferred to the to the town hall in 2015, was targeted by Islamophobic vandalism. The decision had to come back to the Labour-led cabinet's Wednesday, June 25 meeting where leader Mary Ann Brocklesby reminded those present the call in 'asked us to review the decision made and does not have the authority to overturn the decision.' Councillor Ben Callard, who is responsible for resources including leases, addressed the seven points made by the scrutiny committee which sent the decision back to the cabinet, on the chair's casting vote, but said he wasn't convinced the tender process should be run again as the committee wanted. A photograph showing the anti-Muslim vandalism of the former Abergavenny Library. The Llanfoist and Govilon member said: 'I've reflected on them but at the moment I'm not minded to change the original decision. I think it was the correct one and Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association will be good tenants for this property.' Of those reasons Cllr Callard said the council hadn't set a target rent for the building, and doing so could have 'depressed' the price, and defended the four week timeframe for the tender process. He said a number of 'competitive' bids were received and he didn't agree the council should have got an independent survey of the building as the authority has the capacity to do so itself. He also dismissed the suggestion, he said made by a Conservative councillor, the library built and funded by Scottish-American philanthropists Andrew Carnegie should be sold. He said: 'I don't think it should be disposed of, it should remain in the council's ownership'. Conservative opposition leader Cllr Richard John claimed taxpayers would be 'subsidising' the mosque at the agreed rent of £500 a month, or £6,000 a year. He said a previous council budget paper suggested it could produce a rental of between £20-25,000 a year. Cllr Callard said: 'The tax payers of Monmouthshire will not be subsidising it. It was put out for a competitive tender and it returned the figures proposed by the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association, which was the highest submission.' From left, Cllrs Ben Callard, Mary Ann Brocklesby and Richard John. (Image: Monmouthshire County Council.) He added the lease is on a 'full repair' basis which will pass all maintenance responsibilities to the tenants and he described the building as having 'significant liabilities'. The lease was also described as a commercial deal and Cllr Callard said the Muslim association isn't benefiting from a rental agreement, which is a subsidy, that other community groups leasing council buildings enjoy. Cllr Callard also acknowledged it was an 'ambition' of the cabinet the local Muslim community should have a mosque but denied, under questioning from Cllr John, there was any 'done deal'. He also said independent councillor Simon Howarth was wrong to say the council had 'put' the mosque in the library as it offered the building through a tender process open to all. Concerns from residents over car parking in the area were also acknowledged at the meeting and Cllr Callard said the association has committed to using the three nearby public car parks. All seven members of the cabinet confirmed their support for the original decision when asked by Cllr Brocklesby who said the unanimous decision means the lease will be offered to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. During the meeting Cllr Callard also acknowledged questioning over how the council should subject potential leases to scrutiny before decisions are made which he said requires further thought.
South Wales Argus
21-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Abergavenny library mosque proposal decision date named
A decision to grant a 30-year lease on the former Abergavenny library was approved in May before being put on hold pending review by a council scrutiny committee, which met last week, and said the decision had to go back to the cabinet within 10 working days. Just days before the scrutiny committee took place the words 'No Masjid' and crosses were spray painted on to the grade II listed building with police investigating the criminal damage as a hate crime. Masjid is Arabic for place of worship or mosque. Monmouthshire council's Labour-led cabinet will now consider the arguments made at the place scrutiny committee when it meets for its regular meeting on Wednesday, June 25 and must decide whether to stand by its original decision or reconsider it. The scrutiny committee heard from Abergavenny mayor Philip Bowyer and town council colleague Gareth Wild, a Baptist minister, who both spoke in favour of the cabinet's decision to grant the lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. READ MORE: Banner of support draped over Abergavenny mosque graffiti Four public speakers, including Sarah Chicken the warden of the alms houses next door to the former library, a resident, and Andrew Powell landlord of the nearby Groefield pub objected to the decision, citing reasons such as parking and potential for noise as to why a mosque and community centre would be unsuitable. Cabinet member Ben Callard, who lives near the proposed mosque and represents the area on the town council though he is the county councillor for Llanfoist and Govilon, explained no planning permission is required. Community centres and places of worship fall under the same planning use as a library. But he said the community association had promised to hold a public consultation on its plans, but that was criticised by councillors who called the decision in for review, as it was 'consultation after the decision'. The review was instigated by Conservative councillors Rachel Buckler and Louise Brown, who represent Devauden and Shirenewton, and Llanelly Hill independent Simon Howarth who questioned how the decision was made. They faced criticism as Abergavenny councillors and the town council backed the original decision. The former Abergavenny Library. The three questioned the council's process and complained there had been no scrutiny of the decision. Cllr Callard said the community association's bid was the highest scoring tender, and the £6,000 a year rent similar to one of the other bids, and rejected the idea it would be practical for the council to operate as a landlord if every lease had to go through a full scrutiny process. Cllr Callard also said if councillors disagreed with it offering the building for new uses, as it was no longer used as a pupil referral unit with the library having transferred to the town hall in 2015, the decision made last November to declare it 'surplus to requirements' should have been called in for review. The cabinet will consider the scrutiny committee's suggestions a re-tender should be run with specifications including an independent valuation, a survey of the building, consideration of the building's history and importance, a public consultation and the possibility of selling the building. It meets at County Hall in Usk at 4.30pm.
South Wales Argus
28-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Laura Anne Jones MS questions library change into mosque
The Labour-led Monmouthshire County Council awarded the lease of the iconic building to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. Conservative Senedd Member for South Wales East, Laura Anne Jones, has raised concerns about how the decision was reached. Ms Jones emphasised she has no objection to the Muslim community having an appropriate place to worship. However, she suggested that the process under which the decision was made and its long-term implications pose potential problems. Ms Jones said: "It is absolutely right that members of all faiths, including the Muslim community, have somewhere appropriate to worship. "However, this historic library building is a treasured part of Abergavenny's civic heritage and I believe it would have been far more appropriate to create an all-faith space – a building where people of all faiths and none can come together to reflect, build relationships and learn about each other." She expressed concerns that this Carnegie library would be dedicated to only one group, possibly excluding others. She also raised questions about the absence of wider consultation before this significant community decision was made. She questioned why options such as shared or multi-faith use were not more thoroughly explored or consulted on. Ms Jones said: "People in Abergavenny care deeply about this building and its future. "They deserved to have their voices heard before a long-term decision like this was taken behind closed doors." The former Abergavenny Library shut in 2015, after which it was used as a base for the council's pupil referral unit for children unable to attend school. The unit has since moved to alternative premises. Last year, Monmouthshire County Council declared the grade-II listed building, which was built in 1905, surplus to requirements and considered leasing or selling it. A restrictive covenant on the contract prevents it from being used as a public house, restaurant or take-away, but does not prevent commercial or community use. The 30-year lease went to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association after it was the highest scoring applicant on the council's tender process. The group, which currently meets at the St Michael's Centre for Friday prayers, plans to use the former Abergavenny Library as Monmouthshire's first mosque and community centre. Currently, there is no mosque in Monmouthshire, despite there being a small Muslim population. Councillor Ben Callard, cabinet member responsible for buildings, told the cabinet that Abergavenny has the highest number of Muslims in Monmouthshire and that an Islamic place of worship would fill a significant gap in provision for the rapidly growing Muslim population in the region. He added that it would be beneficial in bringing the building back into "beneficial community use" supporting the "educational, social, economic and recreational value for Muslim residents of Monmouthshire and the wider community". The council said that no change of use planning application is required for the building as its intended use as a mosque falls under the same category as a library, but a Certificate of Lawfulness will be applied for to provide assurance. Despite her concerns, Ms Jones said: "It is absolutely right that members of all faiths, including the Muslim community, have somewhere appropriate to worship." She urges Monmouthshire's Labour-led council to clarify why the lease was awarded for such an extended duration, and why other options, such as multi-faith use, were not properly explored or consulted on.
