Poll: New Heeley Mosque, what do you think?

[muddycoffee 10]

I love the new mosque at Heeley. It is a new landmark and a contrast to the poor quality and tired terraced housing nearby, some of which is near slum quality. The building it replaced, which was correctly described by Plaintalker, was knackered and the community needed a fitting new building. They have bought, paid for and built it.

 

Hopefully it will be the spark which will lead to the improvement of the area. Already an old commercial premises nearby has been demolished and some lovely new houses have been built there. Another old stainless steel firm's premises has been demolished and will soon be a new apartment block behind the Chippy on Wolsley road. All this is good healthy progress. Private money which is being spent in our city at no cost to the Council tax payers.

[redrobbo 10]

I have a good look at the mosque almost weekly when I visit the nearby launderette, or go shopping in Highfield, and notice how it is coming along.

 

It seems to be a little dominating over the surrounding streets, but that's also the case with the development taking place on nearby Bramall Lane, as well as the football ground - so I think we will get used to the scale of the building in time.

 

The brickwork is bright, and the minarets and dome add both colour and vibrancy to the new building. The Arabic inscriptions have recently been added to the building, and I'm wondering how far off the opening might be?

 

I hope the local Muslim community organise an open day at the new mosque. I'l ask my friend Mr Nazir if the mosque committee have considered this idea. I'd certainly like to have a look around inside if possible.

[CorkerSWFC 10]

Now the new mosque is nearing completion, what do people think of it? Is it a good addition to Sheffield architecture and landscape or not?

 

My own opinion isthat it's nasty and cheap looking. Considering the great Islamic architecture in other parts of the world this one looks so poorly designed and badly executed.

It looks like its been built cheaply and will look a total mess in a few years its took long enough to erect, it wont take a long time to get in a state of disrepair though,

[guest121 10]

Does anybody know what will happen regarding car parking?

 

There is no car park, as far as i can tell - i live near there and it will be a total nightmare. I am dreading the opening for the congestion alone.

 

Its going to be murder driving around there.

[dodgy33 10]

there is a car park right next to it, to say you live there you dont really notice much do you?

 

although obviously the car park is no way big enough to hold all the visitors, but saying that the car park at bramall lane is no where big enough to hold all the fans there on match days, but you dont here no one complaining about that though do you?

[redrobbo 10]

Does anybody know what will happen regarding car parking?

 

There is no car park, as far as i can tell - i live near there and it will be a total nightmare. I am dreading the opening for the congestion alone.

 

Its going to be murder driving around there.

 

There is a small car park adjacent to the mosque. Otherwise, worshippers will be parking on the nearby streets.

 

Parking shouldn't be anywhere near as bad as those problems caused by the nearby football ground - and unlike the parking and traffic problems associated with the football ground, I can't see that the police will need to close off roads, streets and bus routes like they do with Bramall Lane, John Street, etc.

 

I think you need to get the scale of things into proportion Pasty.

[Unbelievable 10]

there is a car park right next to it, to say you live there you dont really notice much do you?

 

although obviously the car park is no way big enough to hold all the visitors, but saying that the car park at bramall lane is no where big enough to hold all the fans there on match days, but you dont here no one complaining about that though do you?

 

very true:thumbsup:

[CorkerSWFC 10]

there is a car park right next to it, to say you live there you dont really notice much do you?

 

although obviously the car park is no way big enough to hold all the visitors, but saying that the car park at bramall lane is no where big enough to hold all the fans there on match days, but you dont here no one complaining about that though do you?

o yes u do m8 plenty of people complain about parking in and around bramall lane.

[coyote13 10]

I doubt a building so out of scale would have been permitted for any other use. It may have nothing to do with the fact that the aforesaid haji Nazir (a lovely man) had some influence over the planning committee or 'positive discrimination', but I think not.

 

Although it's a well detailed building (not at all cheap) and essentially a good, if not excellent piece of modern architecture, it's absolutely in the wrong place. If it were half the size it would be 'proportionate' imo. So I both like it and dislike its location. It sets a dreadful precedent. I wonder if it was recommended for approval by the planning officers?

 

The parking is no great issue, but has anyone seen the length of the queues at the railway station waiting for taxis when the faithful are at prayer? All the taxis are parked on Wolseley Road and Darnall mosques!

 

This grossly 'out of proportion' building certainly has done nothing to foster community relations at the wider level, but merely 'feeds' the anti muslim anti asian racists. Those who do not recognise the growing antipathy between the 'muslim' community, especially those of pakistani origin and the 'indiginous' local community are burying their head in the sand.

 

Nearly all of the pakistani asians whom I know (which is a very large number) have stated that the most 'racist' community in our country is their own especially *within* their own community. That, I'm sorry to say, is my experience.

 

I have many very good friends from that community and they are at a loss to know what to do. They hate the 'criminal element' in their community, but I've been told that even when the 'bad boys' are reported to the police (the muslim community in particular hates their presence 'within' and 'shops' them on a regular basis - it's part of the muslim 'philosophy') little or no action is taken (by the police) for fear of causing racial 'disquiet'.

 

I've heard this from several sources. When I lived in Pitsmoor the same was being said by the african-caribbean community in relation to the crack dealers who were fairly thick on the ground and who were reported on a regular basis with police inaction the main result.

 

The policing in this city is definitely postcode related. Call for the police in fullwood or dore and they are there in minutes, for pitsmoor and burngreave it can take hours or even days for a response.

 

This is a growing issue which really needs addressing asap. Many of my 'white' friends who two or three years ago were anything but racist are now uttering the unutterable and the 'closed off' nature of the muslim asian community just adds to the problem.

 

I grew up in an equally 'closed off' roman catholic community in glasgow in the '50s and '60s and after many years of consideration and discussion have come, in part, to the conclusion that it is RELIGIONS which are the problem. They divide people and set one above another based on dogmas which have nothing to do with those who (allegededly) founded the religions. Those people often pay lip service to their religions.

 

I am told that the preaching in the mosques is clearly anti violence, anti bombers and seeks to direct the faithful to positive community relations. It would seem that there are many 'so called' muslims who never go to the mosque or if they do they forget the peaceful foundations on which Islam is based. They are much happier to bring their whole community into disrepute just as the '****-bashers' of the white 'community'.

[*_ash_* 88]

I voted dont care.

 

Could be a good bingo hall or night club, should it be left empty.

[Stormy 10]

I doubt a building so out of scale would have been permitted for any other use. It may have nothing to do with the fact that the aforesaid haji Nazir (a lovely man) had some influence over the planning committee or 'positive discrimination', but I think not.

 

Although it's a well detailed building (not at all cheap) and essentially a good, if not excellent piece of modern architecture, it's absolutely in the wrong place. If it were half the size it would be 'proportionate' imo. So I both like it and dislike its location. It sets a dreadful precedent. I wonder if it was recommended for approval by the planning officers?

 

The parking is no great issue, but has anyone seen the length of the queues at the railway station waiting for taxis when the faithful are at prayer? All the taxis are parked on Wolseley Road and Darnall mosques!

 

This grossly 'out of proportion' building certainly has done nothing to foster community relations at the wider level, but merely 'feeds' the anti muslim anti asian racists. Those who do not recognise the growing antipathy between the 'muslim' community, especially those of pakistani origin and the 'indiginous' local community are burying their head in the sand.

 

Nearly all of the pakistani asians whom I know (which is a very large number) have stated that the most 'racist' community in our country is their own especially *within* their own community. That, I'm sorry to say, is my experience.

 

I have many very good friends from that community and they are at a loss to know what to do. They hate the 'criminal element' in their community, but I've been told that even when the 'bad boys' are reported to the police (the muslim community in particular hates their presence 'within' and 'shops' them on a regular basis - it's part of the muslim 'philosophy') little or no action is taken (by the police) for fear of causing racial 'disquiet'.

 

I've heard this from several sources. When I lived in Pitsmoor the same was being said by the african-caribbean community in relation to the crack dealers who were fairly thick on the ground and who were reported on a regular basis with police inaction the main result.

 

The policing in this city is definitely postcode related. Call for the police in fullwood or dore and they are there in minutes, for pitsmoor and burngreave it can take hours or even days for a response.

 

This is a growing issue which really needs addressing asap. Many of my 'white' friends who two or three years ago were anything but racist are now uttering the unutterable and the 'closed off' nature of the muslim asian community just adds to the problem.

 

I grew up in an equally 'closed off' roman catholic community in glasgow in the '50s and '60s and after many years of consideration and discussion have come, in part, to the conclusion that it is RELIGIONS which are the problem. They divide people and set one above another based on dogmas which have nothing to do with those who (allegededly) founded the religions. Those people often pay lip service to their religions.

 

I am told that the preaching in the mosques is clearly anti violence, anti bombers and seeks to direct the faithful to positive community relations. It would seem that there are many 'so called' muslims who never go to the mosque or if they do they forget the peaceful foundations on which Islam is based. They are much happier to bring their whole community into disrepute just as the '****-bashers' of the white 'community'.

 

Good post IMO

[scoop 10]

There is a small car park adjacent to the mosque. Otherwise, worshippers will be parking on the nearby streets.

 

Parking shouldn't be anywhere near as bad as those problems caused by the nearby football ground - and unlike the parking and traffic problems associated with the football ground, I can't see that the police will need to close off roads, streets and bus routes like they do with Bramall Lane, John Street, etc.

 

I think you need to get the scale of things into proportion Pasty.

 

Whilst I agree that the parking problems are not going to be as bad as those caused by the football ground, I also can understand that the football ground has been in place for many years, before parking considerations were an issue.

 

Although I've never been in a position to have to apply for planning permission for anything, I understand from those that have that providing adequate parking for any project is a very big issue, and permission is more than likely to be refused if it can't be demonstrated that any new build does not have adequate parking.

 

Clearly this building does not have adequate parking for the number of people it is going to attract, and this begs the question, why is it that this has been allowed, given that it is not unusual to see parking bedlam and mayhem arround any mosque on a friday?